Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Superstar Trails Only Shohei Ohtani in Surprising Category

This Philadelphia Phillies star had the second-most popular selling jersey this year.

Tyler Maher

Sep 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper looks out to the crowd.
Sep 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper looks out to the crowd. / James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers were first and second in more than just the National League standings this year.

MLB released its jersey sales data for the 2024 season on Monday. Not surprisingly, Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani led the league in jersey sales for the second straight year after doing so with the Los Angeles Angels last year.

Not only did Ohtani become the first player in MLB history with over 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season, but Los Angeles also had the best record in baseball (98-64).

The Phillies had the second-best record in baseball (95-67), however, along with the player who sold the second-most jerseys after Ohtani.

That would be Bryce Harper, who's been one of the sport's best players for over a decade now.

Harper had another stellar year for Philadelphia in 2024. In addition to making his eighth All-Star team, he also clubbed 30 homers and 42 doubles while batting .285/.373/.525 and tallying 4.8 WAR.

After 13 seasons in the Big Leagues, the two-time MVP has become one of the most famous and popular players in the game, which explains his high jersey sales.

That said, it's surprising Harper finished ahead of New York Yankees megastar Aaron Judge. Judge, who clobbered an MLB-high 58 homers, finished third behind Ohtani and Harper despite coming off as more likable and more popular than Harper, whose outward intensity sometimes rubs fans and opponents the wrong way.

Harper wasn't the only Phillie high on the list, either. Teammate Trea Turner ranked No. 13, sandwiched between Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz.

While not as dominant as Harper at the plate, Turner made his third All-Star team this season and finished with amazing numbers (21 homers, 19 steals, .807 OPS) once again.

If both teams go deep into the playoffs, expect their jersey sales to spike even higher this month.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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