Philadelphia Phillies Superstar Has Grown to 'Love the Game More' at New Position

With his full-time transition to first base, Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper has a new appreciation for the sport.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are on their way to their third consecutive postseason appearance, a feat the organization has only accomplished twice before.

A major part of their success this season has been the successful transition of Bryce Harper from the outfield to manning first base full-time.

The transition has seen the superstar return to his MVP levels of performance, as well as being in contention for his first career Gold Glove Award.

It has also gone a long way to keeping Harper in the lineup every day, as playing first base does not take as much toll on the body as roaming the outfield does.

It has also given Harper a new home away from home.

"I feel like," Harper told The Athletic, "it's helped me love the game more."

Harper entered MLB as a cocky teenager in a world full of jaded veterans still vying into the old ways of baseball.

No emotion, keep your head down, run out every ground ball, and do not show up your teammates, opponents, or the umpires.

While playing the game with respect is not a bad thing, the new era of baseball players playing with emotion has brought a new level to the game, something that MLB can build on in their efforts to return the sport to prominence.

And Bryce Harper is a big part of that evolution of the game.

Many players that have debuted over the last few seasons grew up watching Harper play.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic even cites Harper as his favorite player when he was a kid playing park ball.

Now at first base, Harper has an opportunity to pass down the knowledge that he has gained over his 13 seasons in MLB to the new crop of talent.

From putting a knowing hand on Corbin Carrol's shoulder in their late-June series at Citizen's Bank Park to reassuring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that he would break out of his early season slump, to even helping mentor the young players on his team in Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh, Harper has grown into the player that he wishes he had to look to for guidance when he was getting his start in MLB.

6/21/24: Bryce Harper reminds Corbin Carroll to remember the name on his back

📸: me pic.twitter.com/gWeTlWd5pF

— Grace Del Pizzo (@GraceDelPizzo) July 6, 2024

His mentorship has gone a long way.

Since their late-June series, Carroll has gone on to bat .245/.332/.520 with 19 home runs and 50 RBI.

Guerrero Jr. entered their early-season series batting .239/.338/.373 with four home runs and 15 RBI.

He has since batted .349/.415/.603 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI, and will surely finish top-10 in American League MVP voting.

Not only is having Harper at first base a boon for the Phillies, but it has proven to be a big catalyst for the game's exciting young players to remember who they are and the abilities that they possess.

Harper will surely be enshrined in Cooperstown when it is all said and done.

But it will not just be his production that will go down in history, it will also be the immense amount of leadership ability that he has grown to possess.