Philadelphia Phillies legend says Bryce Harper is the NL MVP

Former Philadelphia Phillies MVP Mike Schmidt says Bryce Harper is the NL MVP

Philadelphia Phillies legend Mike Schmidt says that current Phillies superstar Bryce Harper is the NL MVP this season.

It takes one to know one.

Schmidt is a three-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove, six-time Silver Slugger, World Series MVP and part of the 1980 World Series team, the first Phillies team to bring home the championship in franchise history. Two of his MVP seasons were back-to-back, in 1980 and 81.

All of that was done in 18 years with the Phillies, for whom he played his entire career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1995. The legendary third baseman, who now contributes to the Associated Press in his post-playing days, wrote on Thursday:

"“Bryce Harper is THE most valuable player to his team in the National League. He’s the clear-cut MVP if the definition is truly Most VALUABLE Player.”"

The question of what defines the MVP is one Schmidt and countless others have debated for decades. Is he the most valuable to his team, to the league as a whole, to the game of baseball? Does he play on a good team or a bad team? A postseason team or one whose offseason begins in October?

Schmidt and I are in agreement on this one:

"“Shouldn’t this award go to the position player whose team would be most at a loss without him?”"

Harper fits that description more than any other player. The Phillies are above .500 for the first time since 2011 due in large part to his offensive dominance. While you could make the same argument for Juan Soto, the 64-89 last-place Nationals are going nowhere this year. Even his star power couldn’t change that. The Padres, who have wunderkind Fernando Tatis Jr. and his 40 home runs, are even further out of the Wild Card race than the Phillies.

As Schmidt argues, the Atlanta Braves have multiple players with 30+ home runs. While Ronald Acuña is certainly missed, the team reached first place and has held the position for weeks without him. The Los Angeles Dodgers have so many stars that Max Muncy’s dazzling year is wonderful, but certainly not crucial.

Harper currently leads all of MLB with a 1.050 OPS. His 181 OPS+ is tied for sixth-best by a Phillies player in a single season, behind none other than Schmidt, Ed Delahanty, Sam Thompson, and Dick Allen. Of the four, only Schmidt and Allen played in the modern era; Delahanty and Thompson played in the 1890s.

Schmidt’s high praise is a huge compliment to Harper:

"“He plays every day and he plays hard. He loves pressure and is not afraid to fail, and he puts “it” out there — “it” meaning he knows he’s the center of attention and enjoys being “the man.” Most players don’t have that kind of talent, or don’t want the pressure.I can sum this all up: He is today’s Pete Rose with power.”"

As for Harper’s middling first half, Schmidt attributes it to ‘injuries, mechanics, and “no sense of urgency.” That he has been able to turn it around in crunch time is impressive; many players are only good when there’s no pressure, but wilt in clutch moments.

Is Harper the NL MVP for the second time in his career? Only time will tell. But a ringing endorsement from a former Phillies NL MVP speaks volumes about the kind of season Harper is having.