With a 10-2 victory Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of making it to the NLCS for the second consecutive year. One player who has been instrumental in their success is first baseman Bryce Harper. In this year’s postseason, Harper has been impressive, with a slash line of .353/.500/.882, resulting in a staggering 1.382 OPS.
When it comes to the postseason, Harper has always performed exceptionally well. Despite not having any World Series championships to his name, he has consistently proven his worth. In 2022, he was named the NLCS MVP, highlighting his greatness. Harper boasts a remarkable career OPS of 1.010 in the postseason.
This raises the question: “Just how remarkable has Harper’s postseason career been?”
An Unforgettable October Hitter
Harper has hit 14 home runs in his postseason career, which ranks 18th all-time. What makes this feat even more astonishing is that he achieved it in just 41 games. Only Babe Ruth has hit more home runs in as few games, with 15 dingers in 41 playoff appearances.
Furthermore, Harper and Ruth share another distinction—they are the only two players in MLB history with at least 100 postseason plate appearances, 14 or more home runs, and a slugging percentage of .635 or higher.
Harper is among the elite few players to have a postseason OPS greater than 1.000 with at least 100 plate appearances. Out of the 11 players with this distinction, only Carlos Beltran and George Brett have more postseason plate appearances than Harper. This highlights Harper’s sustained success over an extended period, surpassing most players in history—despite having no championships to show for it.
Philies vs Braves Live Score Updates: Atlanta Fights to Keep Season Alive, MLB Playoffs TV Channel
Will This Success Lead to a World Series Title?
Of the top five active players with the highest career postseason OPS, only one, Jorge Soler, has won a World Series title, and he has two. While Harper’s greatness is unquestionable, winning the World Series relies on the entire lineup’s ability to deliver clutch hits. Unfortunately, Harper’s teammates haven’t performed as well in the postseason.
Kyle Schwarber is the only other Phillie with a career postseason OPS of at least .800.
In his Phillies postseason career, Trea Turner has gotten off to a hot start with four extra-base hits in only five games. However, his previous playoff slugging percentage was just .319. Ultimately, what matters is getting hot at the right time, and if Turner maintains this form, the Phillies’ chances of winning it all improve.
What’s Next for the Phillies?
The NLCS Game 4 will begin at 8:07 pm ET. The Phillies, led by Harper, will be playing at home in Citizens Bank Park against their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, who had the most wins in MLB this regular season with 104. Philadelphia currently holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
You can catch the game on either TBS or TruTV.
NLDS Game 4: Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Odds, Picks, and Predictions
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
