Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Star Reveals Reason For Historic Hot Streak

Bryce Harper can thank a Philadelphia Phillies teammate for his recent hot streak.

Tyler Maher

May 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3).
May 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3). / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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Trea Turner is out of commission for awhile, but he's still finding ways to help his team win games.

The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop recently suffered a hamstring injury that's expected to sideline him until June. While that's obviously frustrating for him and the Phillies, one of the benefits is that he has a lot more free time on his hands.

Apparently, Turner has been putting that extra time to good use. He's turned into an unofficial hitting coach, analyzing video of his teammates and giving them advice to help improve their swings.

According to Bryce Harper, one of those tips is the reason for his recent hot streak.

During an appearance on MLB Network on Wednesday, Philadelphia beat writer Todd Zolecki revealed that Turner recently pointed out a small mechanical flaw in Harper's swing. After watching video of Harper's last MVP campaign in 2021, Turner noticed that Harper was starting his hands late this season, throwing off his timing and entire swing.

Harper listened, and the change has produced immediate results. After batting .230/.345/.460 through the end of April, Harper is batting .364/.517/.773 in May. He recently homered in three straight games earlier this week, becoming only the fourth player in franchise history with either a three-run homer or grand slam in three straight games.

The change has helped Harper get his bat to the ball quicker and hit the ball harder when he makes contact. It also allows him to be a bit more patient and let the ball get deeper into the zone before deciding whether to swing.

Given how few hittable pitches Harper sees, he needs to make the most of his opportunities. Entering play on Wednesday, only 43.6% of pitches to Harper were in the strike zone. Not surprisingly, his walk rate (16.9%) is the highest it's been since 2020.

Now that Harper's hammering pitches in the zone, opponents will need to start pitching him even more carefully.

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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.