Phillies Slugger Under the Most Pressure To Perform Down Stretch of Season

A Philadelphia Phillies star is facing some pressure to play well.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have handled business recently, putting themselves in a great position to win the National League East.

They took full advantage of their closet competition, the New York Mets, going into a tailspin. The Phillies put the finishing touches on their collapse, sweeping a four-game series from them last week to extend their division lead. Only one more victory or Mets loss will clinch the NL East.

Once that occurs officially, there is still plenty of work to do. Philadelphia has a legitimate shot at chasing down the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 seed in the NL and best overall record in baseball. With an 89-61 record entering play on Sept. 15, the Phillies are only two games behind. They have been on fire thus far in September, going 10-3.

Pressure Is on Bryce Harper To Carry Phillies

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If Philadelphia is going to chase them down, it needs its star players to continue playing at a high level. One of the players who is under the most pressure to perform is Bryce Harper. He was recently selected by Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report as one of 12 players under the most pressure to deliver down the stretch of 2025. The eight-time All-Star was high on the list, too.

“Really, the takeaway here is that there's as much pressure on the Phillies as any other team this October. But as the face of the Phillies, Harper carries the largest weight of that pressure, which is why he's No. 2,” Kelly wrote.

Harper has an excellent track record in the postseason. A .280/.394/.622 slash line has been produced across 53 games and 232 plate appearances. He has hit 17 home runs, 13 doubles and one triple with 34 RBI and eight stolen bases. Consistently, he has risen to the occasion under the brightest lights.

Time Is Ticking for Bryce Harper To Win World Series

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However, he has not been able to get his team over the hump and win a World Series. Since joining Philadelphia, he has played in the postseason three times, with a trip to the World Series in 2022 coming courtesy of a home run he hit. But the team’s stay in the playoffs has been shorter and shorter each subsequent year.

In 2023, the Phillies blew a 3-2 lead in the NLCS, at home, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last year, after winning the division and earning a bye into the NLDS, they were eliminated in four games by New York. Will Philadelphia be able to make a deeper run this time around?

Harper is going to have a lot of say in that. This will possibly be the final shot at winning with the current core. It is now or never for the two-time NL MVP to help lead the Phillies to the promised land.