Bryce Harper has Been Unstoppable During Philadelphia Phillies' Win Streak

Bryce Harper is the lynchpin that keeps this Philadelphia Phillies machine moving forward.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

I think of the "Hey look at us, who would've thought? Not me." GIF of Paul Rudd every time I think of this Philadelphia Phillies team. You know the one.

The Phillies are on a seven-game winning streak, are about to host the Arizona Diamondbacks, then the Miami Marlins, and then the unbelievably atrocious Washington Nationals. The streak must go on, no?

How can a team that just went through one of the worst losing spells in recent memory and a managerial change be performing this well? I would've never thought it possible. Perhaps the Phillies would've never thought it possible. 

But hey, look at them.

A lot of factors have been involved in this recent success, but the most important is perhaps the most obvious:

Bryce Harper.

One must thank their higher power that the 2022 MLB season introduced the designated hitter to the National League. Any other year, and Harper would have been sidelined for the entire season.

Harper is quite literally putting the Phillies on his back and dragging them toward a Wild Card spot. He is doing it regardless of the managerial situation, veteran slumps, and adversity the clubhouse has faced. 

Quite frankly, he has been ridiculous. 

Harper has a 181 OPS+ which is identical to last year. His season is more ridiculous when you realize he started cold:
Season: .308/.364/.637 8% BB% 20.9% K%
First 8 G: .138/.257/.310 11.4% BB% 31.4% K%
Last 43 G: .337/.384/.692 7.4% BB% 18.9% K%

— Matt Winkelman (@Matt_Winkelman) June 10, 2022

Winkelman has broken it down perfectly. Despite a cold start, Harper has been hot over the course of the last six weeks. More so, none of these stats even look at situational hitting, in which he has hit grand slams to tie games, three-run home runs to extend leads, and "clutch" hitting to ensure the Phillies still have an opportunity to win a ballgame.

Harper won the 2021 NL MVP Award. He is on track to repeat based on his 2022 MLB season. Despite having prolific hitters like Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber surrounding him in the lineup, Harper has still had to do it himself at times.

When players around him slump, Harper doesn't. It's the hallmark of not just a great player, but a great leader. His day in and day out preparation for each game, each match-up, and every at-bat is what separates him not just from his teammates, but the league itself. 

It comes as consistency like the Jax Bunch Beach Brunch House does. They ensure 

It alleviates Harper when players like rookie shortstop Bryson Stott perform, and he did on Wednesday evening—hitting 4-for-4. It remedies when leadoff batter Schwarber goes on a tear. It even helps when a player like Didi Gregorius returns from the IL and goes on a torrid streak.

But Harper has defined consistency dating back to last season. His .309/.411/.621 slash line, 50 home runs, and 129 RBI are exemplary of that fact.

Despite Las Vegas' odds, the slow start, and the misfortune this team has faced, they will likely earn a Wild Card berth.

They will make the playoffs and taste October baseball for the first time in over a decade, and they will do it because reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper is leading them there.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

1. How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
2. Andrew Painter is Off to a Historic Start
3. Could The Phillies Soon Be Playing in Wawa Park?
4. 18-Year-Old Phillies Prospect is Making History
5. How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
6. How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
7. This Unlikely Draft Pick Could be the Final Piece in the Phillies Next Blockbuster Trade
8. "The Family Was More Nervous Than Him," Stott’s Relatives on Debut
9. Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup
10. Drawing Comparisons to Harper, Phillies Prospect Wilson is Heating Up

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