There are few things more freeing than relaxing on the Jersey Shore with a cold drink and a group of friends. A superstar who plays less than an hour from those beaches away will enter 2025 with a similar freedom that could allow him to have one of the best seasons of his already storied career.
Despite National League clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves receiving much of the offseason buzz, Philadelphia Phillies' slugger Bryce Harper could fly under the radar and win this year's National League MVP award.
“This is my 15th spring training,” Harper said in an interview with The Athletic. “It’s pretty crazy. But it’s been a blast. I still love competing, coming in here, doing my job, playing for the guys next to me."
Harper has thrived under pressure in the past, but he will have a unique chance to help show that the Phillies are still one of the best teams in baseball while fans and pundits fixate on other clubs that made seismic winter moves.
Bryce Harper loves Philly so much that he got a Phanatic tattoo 😂💚
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2025
(via andyoutattoo/IG) pic.twitter.com/Ihxh4dqhIk
Recent postseason failures have caused many to forget how dangerous Philly could be going forward. As a result, Harper will be motivated to compete at a high level and bring a championship to the City of Brotherly Love.
“Individual stats are great, but that one thing, man . . . that World Series," Harper said. "That’s what you want to do. All those things will take care of themselves if you’re winning and if you’re staying healthy. I’m not really too worried about it.”
Why Bryce Harper could be this season's NL MVP
From a talent perspective, Harper is one of the most prolific hitters in the sport. The 32-year-old has already won two MVP awards and is coming off of a decent 2024. He bashed 30 home runs, collected 87 RBIs, and earned an .898 OPS.
According to Baseball Savant, the Las Vegas native ranked in the 96th percentile in Batting Run Value and the 87th percentile in Hard Hit%. It is evident that Harper can mash and put up the kind of power numbers that an MVP season requires.
It is entirely possible that Harper will have a better statistical year this summer than he has in recent years, and he would need one in order to take home his third MVP. Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Mookie Betts will serve as some of the fiercest competition for a single award the game has ever seen.
A bump in his production would become more likely if others like Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber also have consistent seasons. Philadelphia will be in a challenging NL East division and will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to reprise their division title from 2024.
Harper's Phillies will enter 2025 with a lot to prove and many detractors who are not convinced they can go "all the way." There is a freedom that comes from being underestimated, and Harper could be on the verge of a special campaign that reminds everyone how good he truly is.