Bryce Harper Reveals Feelings After Philadelphia Phillies Win National League East

Bryce Harper was ecstatic after bringing the Philadelphia Phillies their first division title since 2011.

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Carlos Estévez (53), first base Bryce Harper (3), second base Bryson Stott (5) and catcher Garrett Stubbs (21) celebrate the National League East Division title in the locker room after defeating the Chicago Cubsat Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies completed step two in their journey to a World Series on Monday night, winning the National League East.

However, for this veteran led Phillies ball club, this is far from where they need and want to be.

Nonetheless, winning the division for the first time since 2011 should be celebrated.

In typical Philadelphia fashion, they did what their city knows how to do better than many others: party.

It was a deserved one, too.

When the Phillies entered the campaign, the expectation was for them to win the division. Now, that doesn't take away from doing so, but this team is so good that it was a realistic expectation.

Despite that, it doesn't discredit what they've accomplished.

Superstar Bryce Harper acknowledged that, highlighting how difficult it is to win the National League East.

“This is what you work for all year,” Harper told NBC Sports Philadelphia.

“I’ve played in this division my whole career. It’s the hardest division to win. There’s so many good teams in this division, so many good pitchers and players and everything. To be able to win your division, it’s hard to do in baseball. It’s hard to go wire-to-wire. To be able to do that, it’s pretty incredible.”

Harper, who's been in the NL East throughout his entire career after debuting for the Washington Nationals, understands better than anyone the challenges the division brings.

Sure, Philadelphia caught a few breaks along the way, as the Atlanta Braves weren't healthy, but that's part of the game. In years past, the Phillies dealt with similar injuries.

It's an exciting time for the franchise. After falling just short over the past two campaigns, losing in the NLCS in 2023 and the World Series in 2022, there's only one thing left to do: win the World Series.

They'll have to be ready to go in October, and if prior showings are any indication, they should be just fine.

On paper, and based on what they've shown throughout nearly 162 games, there's reason to believe Philadelphia is the favorite heading into the postseason.

However, as they've found out first hand, that doesn't always mean everything. They simply need to take care of business and not doubt anyone in front of them.

Until then, the party will continue, and they'll have fun doing so.

Hopefully, the next one will be on Broad Street at the conclusion of the season.

The fans deserve it.