How the Phillies' Bryce Harper has lifted his game and his reputation

There are two examples this post-season that perfectly encapsulate the evolution of Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper, according to Marcus Hayes.

The columnist, who's worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer for the past 28 years, covered Harper during the slugger's younger days with the Washington Nationals and has been around him as much as anyone in the media since Harper signed with the Phillies during spring training in 2019.

The first example Hayes points to was during Game 3 of the National League Division Series, when Harper hit two homers and stared at Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia — who had reportedly mocked him after Harper made the final out of the previous game — each time while rounding the bases.

"The old Bryce might have said something," Hayes says.

The second instance came last week when Harper homered in the opening frame of Game 1 of the National League Champioship Series. The blast came on his 31st birthday and when he crossed home plate, Harper held up three fingers on one hand and one finger on the other, before blowing out the imaginary candles.

"The old Bryce would have been doing it all the way around bases," says Hayes.

Sure, these are the most subtle of differences, but they speak to who Harper, now a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, has become.

"Those are indications of better focus and maturation," says Hayes. "I see him less interested in the extracurricular stuff. He's less emotional."

The Phillies will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the NLCS on Tuesday night and while the stakes are high for both clubs, the same could be said about Harper, who's still searching for his first World Series ring. He's a former Rookie of the Year, a two-time MVP and Silver Slugger, a Home Run Derby winner and a seven-time all-star. However, after losing to the Houston Astros in the World Series last year, a championship title remains the missing piece to his impressive résumé.

Nonetheless, whatever happens in Game 7, it's worth examining how far Harper has come.

His backstory has been well documented — a high-school phenom who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he was dubbed the "Chosen One" at age 17, there may never have been a baseball player who received more hype than Harper.

He was productive over his first few MLB seasons but fell far short of expectations. That led him to be routinely voted by his peers as the league’s most overrated player.

Then came the infamous 2015 incident, where Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon confronted and choked Harper after the latter didn't run out a fly ball.

That's all in the past, though, as Harper has worked diligently to change his image and become both a better player and leader.

"I truly believe he's grown," Papelbon said during an appearance on Blair and Barker last week on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

"Honestly, I'm happy as hell for him. Because this is the type of player that we're watching now that I saw years ago that wasn't quite there yet. And I truly do believe he's there."

An inflection point occurred when Harper signed his 13-year, $330-million deal in early 2019. The Phillies, having plenty of divisional exposure to Harper, were obviously aware of the good and bad in his career to that point. The club's decision makers felt his gritty style of play would perfectly suit the Philadelphia market, but wanted to get a deeper sense of who he was as a person before considering such a large-scale investment in him.

Several Phillies personnel met with Harper and his wife Kayla and were subsequently wowed by his maturity. He lived in a modest apartment and didn't drive the type of flashy car that one would expect of a millionaire ballplayer in their mid-20s. Harper spoke about his intention of playing for a team in a city where he could start a family and plant roots. He wanted his next home to be his final spot in baseball. 

"The conclusion we were able to reach was this person was famous when he was a kid," says a former Phillies executive who was involved in those meetings with Harper. "When you become famous at a young age, you're forced to develop and mature at a different rate than the average person. And, like most people, he didn't handle everything perfectly.

"Once he became famous, everything changed and all his mistakes were front page news," adds the executive. "I think what we saw when we got to know him is that he matured."

As soon as Harper signed with his new team, he was intent on rebuilding his public image. He made sure he was always available to media, sometimes even overextending himself, and also set out to endear himself to Philadelphia fans with actions like wearing a headband, custom cleats, or a suit that each featured some type of homage to the team's mascot, the Phillie Phanatic.

"As a guy who covered Harper [when he was] a 19-year-old, I was like, 'Is this an act? Are we getting played here?'" says Hayes. "And the answer was, ‘No. I don't think so.’ Don't get me wrong — I think he had a strategy and I think the strategy was pointed. But I also think there was sincerity behind his wishes. He wanted to have a home. He wanted to have a place to settle down and raise his kids and have a legacy that was his."

The columnist highlights Harper's willingness to use his voice to impact organizational change as an example of how he's made inroads toward growing into a real leader. Harper has campaigned for catcher J.T. Realmuto to be re-signed and also campaigned for the club to pursue free agents Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner.

Not to be lost, of course is Harper's legacy building on the field. He authored a post-season for the ages last year by hitting .349/.414/.746 with six homers, 12 runs and 13 RBIs over 17 games. He's followed that in 2023 by hitting .316/.490/.711 with five homers, eight RBIs and 14 runs across 12 playoff games.

Harper has lifted his game — and also his reputation — to another stratosphere over the past two Octobers, creating even more distance from the missteps of his earlier days. Nobody can question his desire to win anymore.

Perhaps most telling about his evolution, says Hayes, is the clubhouse presence Harper has become. He's loved by his teammates and has established himself as a pillar in the room.

"My biggest issue with [some] stars is when they don't play well, they don't take the heat," says Hayes. "When Harper's not playing well, he'll take the heat. He's got very big shoulders and he's willing to use those shoulders and he's willing to bring guys along with him. He's been a wonderful teammate. And that's probably been the biggest surprise for us because he wasn't asked to do that in Washington.

"He's the grown up in the room and the big brother and the leader,” adds Hayes. “I think that's what he set out to be, and I think that's what he's become."