Why Harper looks poised to fuel another deep Phils playoff run
After present process Tommy John surgical procedure final November, Bryce Harper returned to the Phillies’ lineup forward of schedule on May 3. However, it took for much longer for the two-time MVP’s energy stroke to make it again.
While Harper posted a .290 common and .383 on-base share over his first 77 video games this season, he additionally had simply 5 homers and a .403 slugging share in that span. If that slugging share held up, it could have set a brand new profession low by 20 factors.
But Harper’s energy has returned in full drive this month. Following Monday’s sport, wherein he homered, he has hit .375 with eight dingers, a triple, six doubles, 20 RBIs and a 1.285 OPS in his previous 20 video games. His slugging share in that point? A wholesome .819.
As Harper’s slugging share climbs, so too do Philadelphia’s probabilities of going deep into the postseason for a second straight yr.
Harper fueled the Phillies’ shock run to the World Series a yr in the past with an unbelievable efficiency on the plate. In 71 plate appearances throughout the 2022 playoffs, he hit .349 with six homers, seven doubles, 13 RBIs and a 1.160 OPS.
One of these homers, a go-ahead, two-run blast to left-center subject off the Padres’ Robert Suarez within the backside of the eighth inning throughout Game 5 of the NLCS, was accountable for sending the Phils to the Fall Classic.
Harper has recaptured that type in August, which has meant two issues:
While Harper’s price of manufacturing laborious contact (batted balls with 95+ mph exit velocity) was nonetheless decidedly above common over his first 77 video games, it was nowhere close to the borderline elite mark he had within the common season from 2020-22 or the wonderful determine he put up within the 2022 postseason.
Harper’s hard-hit price breakdown:
However, Harper has returned to his 2022 postseason stage over his previous 20 video games, notching a 56.4% hard-hit price, the seventh-highest in MLB (min. 50 batted balls).
Highest hard-hit price since Aug. 5
Min. 50 batted balls
1. Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD): 58.8%
2. Gunnar Henderson (BAL): 58.5%
3. Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 57.3%
4-T. José Ramírez (CLE): 56.7%
4-T. Tommy Pham (AZ): 56.7%
6. Ke’Bryan Hayes (PIT): 56.5%
7. Bryce Harper (PHI) 56.4%
Six of his 11 hardest-hit balls of the season have come throughout that span, together with his hardest-hit homer — a 112.9 mph, game-tying blast off Giants nearer Camilo Doval within the backside of the ninth inning on Aug. 23.
But laborious contact has solely been a part of the equation behind Harper’s rejuvenated energy stroke this month. Because whereas hard-hit balls are worthwhile, laborious contact on the bottom is loads much less worthwhile than …
… laborious contact within the air.
Prior to Aug. 5, Harper was hitting far too many balls on the bottom. His ground-ball price was round 50%, curbing his possibilities to hit the ball out of the park.
But Harper, whose profession ground-ball price is 42.6%, has been doing a significantly better job of launching the ball within the air recently. Over his previous 20 video games, his ground-ball price has dropped to 30.9%, much like the mark (32%) he posted throughout the 2022 postseason.
For Harper, the mixture of elevated laborious contact and elevated air contact has precipitated his price of manufacturing barrels, batted balls with the optimum combo of exit velocity and launch angle, to soar.
After posting an 11.6% barrel price over his first 77 video games, Harper has recorded 13 barrels on 55 batted balls since Aug. 5, a 23.6% barrel price. Only one hitter has notched a increased barrel price in that point.
Highest barrel price since Aug. 5
Min. 50 batted balls
1. Spencer Torkelson (DET): 24.6%
2. Bryce Harper (PHI): 23.6%
3. Marcell Ozuna (ATL): 18.5%
4. Christian Walker (AZ): 17.7%
5-T. Max Kepler (MIN): 17.6%
5-T. Jorge Polanco (MIN): 17.6%
Again, that appears an terrible lot like what Harper did within the 2022 playoffs, when he registered a 24% barrel price on 50 batted balls.
Harper’s resurgence has been a part of an enormous month for the Phillies’ offense general. The membership has hit 52 house runs in August, main the Majors and setting a franchise report for a calendar month.
With free-agent addition Trea Turner getting again on monitor (7 HR, 1.111 OPS since Aug. 4), Philadelphia’s lineup is in as robust of a spot as it has been all yr.
Of course, the Phils are in the end going to go so far as Harper’s bat can take them come October. With the best way he is slugging this month, the 30-year-old appears poised to hold them to a different deep postseason run.
