Philadelphia Phillies 'Golden Batter' Would Be First Baseman Bryce Harper

The Philadelphia Phillies have a clear choice when it comes to who their "Golden Batter" would be in first baseman Bryce Harper.

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) hits a double in the sixth inning against the New York Mets in game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies would not have much deliberating to do if MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred came out today and said, "We are instituting the 'Golden Batter' rule for the 2025 season."

It is something that the owners have discussed of late, albeit not to implement as soon as 2025, and it would change the entire landscape of Major League Baseball.

For those unaware, the "Golden Batter" or "Golden At-Bat" rule would allow a team to let any player on their roster hit at any time once a game, even if they are already in the lineup and it is not their turn to do so.

Think back to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where the final out of the whole shebang came down to (then) teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. It could be that situation but on a per-game basis.

For the Phillies, their "Mike Trout" in that scenario would be none other than their superstar first baseman, Bryce Harper.

For his career, Harper has batted .281/.389/.522 with 336 home runs, 976 RBI, and a 143 OPS+ across 7,085 plate appearances in 1,653 games. The superstar has won two National League MVPs, four Silver Slugger Awards, and has been an All-Star eight times.

A runner on third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game and at the bottom of the lineup? Nah, here comes Harper instead of Johan Rojas.

The "Golden Batter" is a concept that the Savannah Bananas instituted into their exhibition games, along with all of the other wacky rules they have. The batter is out if a fan in the stands catches a foul ball. If there is a base on balls, the batter must sprint to first base and advance as far as they can while the defense throws the ball around to each fielder before they can attempt to make the out—exhibition/sports entertainment type things.

Manfred did clarify that the concept is only in the very early stages of discussion among himself and the owners. Even with how much baseball has changed during Manfred's tenure as commissioner, this may be a step too far.

Regardless of whether this does come to be or not, it is still a fun discussion and an interesting exercise to think of who the "Golden Batter" would be for each team.

For Philadelphia, it would not take too much time to think before coming to the foregone conclusion of Bryce Harper.