It is far too early to say that Bryce Harper will not live up to his contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the fans may be getting nervous.
This offseason, Bryce Harper signed a 13 year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the capstone to a stellar offseason, the finishing touch that would push the Phillies to the postseason, and potentially to the World Series. Harper was that missing superstar, that player that the Phillies could build around for years to come.
However, the beginning to his Phillies career has not been what they would have expected. In fact, his first 40 games as a member of the Phillies have been amongst the worst of any 40 game stretch in his career.
Bryce Harper through the Phillies' 1st 40 games:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 14, 2019
- .222 BA, his worst through 40 team games in his career (prior lowest was .229 last year)
- 54 K, his most through 40 team games in his career (prior most was 41)
Obviously, 40 games into a 13 year contract is not a cause for alarm. Players go through slumps, even the great ones. Sometimes, these slumps can be prolonged, as Harper is dealing with currently.
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Harper, however, has not exactly been the most consistent of theoretical superstars in the game. During his seven years with the Nationals, he had two seasons with an OPS+ over 150, but also had three seasons with an OPS+ below 120. He has been a true superstar and MVP caliber player, and has been just barely above average.
This season, Harper has been the latter. In those 40 games, he has produced a decent .222/.367/.438 batting line, hitting ten doubles and seven homers. In his 177 plate appearances, Harper has 31 walks and 54 strikeouts, both of which lead the National League. That production has led to an OPS+ of 111, the third best of any Phillies regular.
While that is relatively solid, that is not why the Phillies spent that much money to bring Harper to Philadelphia. They need him to be that MVP candidate, instead of the slightly above average outfielder that he has been thus far. There is plenty of time for that to happen, but this slow start has to be making the fan base a bit nervous.
Bryce Harper has plenty of time to live up to his contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. A slow start should not be a cause for alarm; at least, not yet.