Philadelphia Phillies Superstar Ranked Inside Top Five at Position by Insider

An ESPN insider recently ranked the top 10 first basemen in Major League Baseball, and the Philadelphia Phillies had one of the highest-ranked players.

Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) hits an RBI single in the eighth inning against the New York Mets during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's the time of the Major League Baseball calendar when pundits, insiders and experts take stock of the league and evaluate where every team stands at each position before action gets going in the new year.

These exercises tend to flatter clubs like the Philadelphia Phillies who possess high-end star power at most positions, and there is no question as to where the team stands at first base with Bryce Harper holding it down.

ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney released a list ranking the top 10 at the first base position in the game, and he ranked Harper second, behind only Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"This is Year 7 of his 13-year, $335 million deal, and in his first six years, Harper generated 23.3 WAR (despite dealing with significant injuries) and 152 homers along with signature moments and a deep postseason run in 2022," Olney wrote.

The Phillies made a massive commitment to Harper when he hit the open market, and the deal has aged wonderfully as Harper has maintained his excellence and salaries for top-end players have ballooned around the league. There has even been discussion on an extension on his huge deal, though it hasn't happened yet.

Since joining Philadelphia, Harper ranks fifth in MLB among regular hitters in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging percentage. The only players to rank ahead of him in both categories are Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and former teammate Juan Soto.

Harper has even gracefully handled and embraced a position change due to some injury issues, moving from his customary right field to first base to protect his long term prospects and put the team's interests.

The move has paid dividends, as Harper was on the field and in the lineup more in the 2024 campaign than any other during his tenure in Philadelphia except his first year in 2019. He was also an All-Star at first base in 2024.

Last season was his most productive since 2021 in terms of slugging percentage, home runs, wRC+, and fWAR, demonstrating that he has yet to lose a step since crossing over the age of 30.

In 2025, Harper will look to help the Phillies finally capture the World Series championship that has eluded them during this era of consistent contention.

The team beefed up its starting rotation with the acquisition of Jesus Luzardo, and it has returned all key offensive contributors from the past few years.

If Harper's performance is in line with Olney's projected ranking for this year, Philadelphia will continue to have a chance to win it all.