History Suggests Philadelphia Phillies' Superstar Might Now Win MVP

After an incredible game at the plate, the Philadelphia Phillies' superstar could see himself winning some hardware at the end of the season based on what past history has shown.

Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) runs the bases after hitting his second home run of the game during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Things haven't gone quite as smoothly for the Philadelphia Phillies to start the season as they might have liked.

Getting out of the opening Atlanta Braves series with a 1-2 record felt like a gift based on the way things had transpired for the most part. Then, they dropped to 1-3 after a tough extra innings loss against the Cincinnati Reds.

Some of the struggles for the Phillies could be pointed to the poor performances at the plate from their star players, and more specifically, Bryce Harper who entered Tuesday's game 0-11 with two walks.

Keeping one of the best players in the league from being productive is virtually impossible, so it was only a matter of time before he broke out of this mini slump to start the year.

And Harper broke out of it in a huge way.

The superstar went 3-4, with all three of his hits being home runs, including one that was a grand slam.

He single handedly won the game for Philadelphia when they certainly needed a stabilizing performance after beginning the season in a shaky fashion.

If history is any indicator of what might be in store for Harper, then there's a chance he will bring home his third Most Valuable Player award when the year is done.

"I do remember he went to win the MVP that year. That's a good sign for Bryce this year," J.T. Realmuto told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com when discussing Harper's first Major League three home run game back in 2015 against the Miami Marlins when the catcher was still with that franchise.

That was the best power-hitting season of the superstar's career.

He finished with career-highs in home runs (42), slugging percentage (.649), and OPS+ (198) on his way to taking home the prestigious honor.

But, Harper isn't think about that right now. The only thing he's focused on is winning.

"Hopefully, this is the start of us winning one. You know? It’d be cool," he said to Zolecki.

Whether this is the moment that sparks Philadelphia and gets them off to the good start they were searching for will be seen, but one thing is for certain, with Harper in the lineup and producing, they will be one of the hardest teams to beat by the time fall arrives.