Bryce Harper Is Back, Thankfully

Bryce Harper made his season debut with the Phillies Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, almost exactly 11 years to the day after he made his major-league debut in Los Angeles against the Dodgers (he went 0-for-3). His 2023 debut was delayed, of course, because Harper underwent Tommy John surgery just after the World Series. The 2022 World Series. As Buster Olney explained at ESPN.com, Harper’s return from elbow reconstruction surgery in just 160 days is the fastest on record for a position player.

I’m not the least bit surprised. Harper sets his own pace and does everything with flair.

On that day in April 2012 when Harper debuted at Dodger Stadium, the then-Washington Nationals’ left fielder was only 19 years, 195 days old. With just a bit of stubble on his face and dark brown mohawk on his head, Harper showed us just a hint the greatness to come. He went 1-for-3 that game; the one hit was a booming double that hit the base of the center field wall. Harper raced around first, flung off his batting helmet, and glided into second base with grin on his face.

(Photo from MLB.com)

Harper was spectacular his rookie season. He put up some of the best numbers ever for a 19-year-old with a .270/.340/.477 slash, 26 doubles, 9 triples, and 22 home runs. The Baseball Writers Association of America voted Harper the National League Rookie of the Year.

It only got better from there. The 2015 National League MVP. The 2021 National League MVP. Seven-time All-Star. No doubt one of the best players in the game over the last 11 seasons. Don’t take my word for it. Here are FanGraphs numbers. And when you have a few minutes (or hours), spend some time in the MLB video vault watching highlights of Harper’s 11 seasons in the big leagues.

But baseball needs Harper for more than his offensive outbursts and, when he’s healthy, his laser-like outfield assists. Baseball needs Harper because as good as Harper is, he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

When he was a rookie, Harper, perhaps unwittingly, created the meme “That’s a clown question, bro.” And then a few years later, mispronounced“meme” as “may may” which, of course, spawned more memes.

He laughs. He smiles. He has fun. It’s a game, damn it. Grown men wearing pajamas running around like six-year-olds. Sure, it’s an expensive game with a lot of money on the line. But it’s a game. And it’s entertainment. Harper knows all of this and he plays to the crowd, whether you’re rooting for or against him.

Welcome back, Bryce Harper.