Bryce Harper has been one of the biggest jolts to the Philadelphia Phillies in quite some time. He's been the face of the franchise and has made it his ultimate goal to bring a World Series back to Philadelphia since he signed his mega-deal in 2019. He set the bar high, but Phillies fans wouldn't want it any other way for their former MVP first baseman.
Harper hasn't been able to achieve that ultimate goal just yet in his seven seasons with the Phillies, but it hasn't been for a lack of trying. Harper won the NL MVP in 2021 and an NLCS MVP in 2022, the year the Phillies came up short in the World Series against the Houston Astros.
He's been an elite talent but fell short of his normal production in 2025. Even with the drop in Harper's recent output, experts believe that Harper can revert into one of the best players in the league again.
Bryce Harper's return to MVP form would be a massive boost to the Phillies' World Series hopes in 2026
Harper has been regarded as a special talent in baseball since he was a teenager. It's the reason he debuted at just 19 years old, won two MVP awards, and became a postseason wonder for Philadelphia. He still has that ability heading into his age-33 season and a recent prediction from MLB.com's Todd Zolecki puts that into perspective.
Zolecki's bold prediction is that Harper will finish in the top three in NL MVP voting in 2026.
“Harper didn’t have the season everybody expected him to have in 2025, which even had Dave Dombrowski wondering if Harper can return to an elite level of play in 2026,” Zolecki notes. “Harper is the type of guy to turn a challenge into a motivator. We think Harper comes into camp as motivated as ever, looking to remind everybody in baseball that he remains one of the sport's best players and he is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Harper played in 132 games in 2025, missing a month due to a wrist issue, but still put up 3.1 bWAR. His batting average came in lower at .261 but he maintained an .844 OPS. His career numbers are a .280 batting average and a .905 OPS. He also hit 27 home runs and drove in 75 RBIs.
The Phillies still finished with the second-best record in the National League at 96-66. It was their best regular season finish since the 2010 season. Harper also finds motivation in a lot of things, whether it's doubt or still trying to be that best player into his mid-30s.
Phillies fans can only imagine what will be possible if Harper returns to MVP form in 2026. Even in a so-so year, Harper was able to help get them to another top-two seed in the NL playoff picture. If Harper can turn back the clock a bit, the Phillies could be looking at another run to the World Series and maybe a championship in 2026.
Philadelphia is already hosting the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, so having Harper be the face of the 2026 Phillies would be fitting. Harper putting up MVP numbers in 2026 will allow Phillies fans along with everyone else to enjoy the ride, hopefully with a parade at its finality.