Harper's Defense Proving His MVP Value For Phillies
The entire Delaware Valley was surely celebrating Bryce Harper’s two home runs and stare downs of Orlando Arcia.
After all, those two shots played a large role in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 10-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Harper already has nine postseason home runs with the Phillies to rank third in franchise history. Jayson Werth leads the way with 11 and Chase Utley ripped 10.
Offensive numbers garner headlines. That has always been the case.
Not that long ago, Harper offered to make the switch from designated hitter to first base. He still hasn’t been cleared to play right field since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
What has been lost in the superstar's offensive surge is this: his defense has been stellar at first base. He looks as if first base has been his position since his rookie season.
Guess what? That's not easy.
Not at all.
Harper is a rare superstar because he’s not afraid to fail. Coming back extremely early from Tommy John surgery was a challenge. It took a while for him to regain his power.
When Harper also decided to shift to first base, it could have been a rough transition.
It wasn’t.
Did he make some mistakes? Of course.
In the long run, Harper has looked virtually flawless.
When every play is magnified in the playoffs, Harper appears even calmer.
Home runs get headlines.
Playing consistent defense doesn’t.
Moving his superstar to first base gave manager Rob Thomson more options with his designated hitter spot. More specifically, Kyle Schwarber was able to shift from left field to DH more often.
It made the Phillies a better team.
Harper is a Most Valuable Player in a number of ways.
When the season began, he was on the bench, recovering from a difficult surgery.
Now he’s at first base making it look easy.
It’s truly amazing what he can do on the field.
