Bryce Harper's playoff performance has been electrifying and of historic significance.
Thanks to Bryce Harper's outstanding performance, the Philadelphia Phillies are on the cusp of their second consecutive NLCS appearance. Harper boasts a remarkable .353/.500/.882 slash line across five postseason games in 2023, resulting in an impressive 1.382 OPS.
Bryce Harper has long been a standout performer in the postseason, and while he hasn't clinched a World Series title yet, it's not for lack of effort. The two-time National League MVP earned NLCS MVP honors in 2022 and boasts a career postseason OPS of a remarkable 1.010.
Harper's postseason legacy is impressive and continues to grow. He's launched 14 home runs in his postseason career, ranking 18th all-time, and he's only 30 years old. It's worth noting that nearly all the players ahead of him in this category have at least one World Series title to their name, unlike Harper.
What's even more astounding is that Harper reached this home run milestone in just 41 games, second only to Babe Ruth in MLB history. Babe Ruth, a legendary figure, achieved 15 postseason home runs in the same number of games.
Harper and Ruth also share another remarkable distinction. They are the only players in MLB history to accumulate over 100 postseason plate appearances, hit 14 or more home runs, and maintain a slugging percentage of .635 or higher.
Harper finds himself among an exclusive group of 11 players with over 100 plate appearances and a postseason OPS exceeding 1.000. Impressively, only two of those 11 (Carlos Beltran and George Brett) have more postseason plate appearances than Harper, highlighting his enduring success in October.
However, postseason glory ultimately hinges on collective team performance, and Harper's teammates haven't always delivered in the playoffs. With just one more Phillies player, Kyle Schwarber, boasting a career postseason OPS of at least .800, Harper's ability to secure a World Series title depends on his fellow lineup contributors.
While Trea Turner has displayed an explosive start in his Phillies postseason journey, his playoff slugging percentage before joining Philadelphia was a modest .319. Nonetheless, what matters most in October is timing and hot streaks, and if Turner maintains his current form, the Phillies stand a better chance of championship success.
The Phillies' next game, Game 4 of the NLCS, is scheduled for 8:07 pm ET, with Harper and his teammates ready to take on the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia currently leads the best-of-five series 2-1.
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