Mar 8, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a run in the first inning of the spring training game against the Houston Astros at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports Jonathan Dyer
CLEARWATER — The Phillies aren't really the Phillies until Bryce Harper arrives. That happened Saturday, as Harper was one of a handful of position players to show up two days ahead of the club's first full-squad workout of 2025.
It didn't take long until there was a crowd of reporters around the locker of Harper, who is preparing for his seventh season with the Phillies.
First off was everyone's favorite topic: the batting order. Manager Rob Thomson has suggested that if Kyle Schwarber is moved out of the leadoff spot in favor of Trea Turner, it could make sense to have Harper hitting second.
What does Harper think of the possibility of a little bit of a shake-up at the top of the batting order?
"I'm glad I'm not the manager," Harper joked. "He's gotta do what he's gotta do to make our team win and help us win."
So the two-time NL MVP is comfortable with hitting somewhere other than third if that's what's best for the Phillies?
"I mean, I haven't been talked to yet," Harper said. "Obviously, I'm a three-hole hitter and I have been. But whenever they tell me to hit two or four, I've done that in the past as you guys know. I wanna win, so I don't care what that takes."
One spot where Thomson has been clear Harper won't hit — although he has done it on occasion in the past — is leadoff.
"I mean, I'll take the extra at-bats," Harper said with a smile. "But I don't want to hit leadoff."
Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor have had success leading off. @TimKellySports asked Bryce Harper why he feels more comfortable hitting a bit lower in the lineup. pic.twitter.com/W63h3LZpPL
It is worth pointing out that some of the biggest stars in the game today have found success leading off, even if they are all capable of hitting elsewhere in the order.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was the NL MVP in 2023 as the leadoff hitter for the Atlanta Braves, launching 41 home runs and swiping 73 bags.
Shohei Ohtani hit 54 home runs and drove in 130 runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers a year ago, winning NL MVP and leading the team to a World Series as the primary leadoff hitter for Dave Roberts.
Francisco Lindor moving to the top of the order for the New York Mets last season was one of the things that helped to turn their season around and get to the NLCS.
So what it is that Harper prefers about hitting somewhere in the two through four range as opposed to leading off?
"I just, I don't know," Harper acknowledged. "Like I said, I haven't even talked about it.
"I think Acuña is probably the best leadoff hitter I've ever seen from a standpoint of stealing bases, running the bags the right way ... hitting for power ... hitting for average. Obviously, Ohtani's not your prototypical and he's doing what he's doing. I mean, Lindor is a leadoff guy. I feel like Lindor's a prototypical ... switch-hitter leadoff guy that runs the bases really well.
"I don't know, I've hit three a lot in my career. I'm comfortable there," Harper continued. "I've hit two a lot early in my career, so I'm comfortable there. And then obviously in the postseason in '22, I hit four a lot. So, I mean, like I said, I just wanna win."
So far this spring, there's been some talk of trying to find ways to get both J.T. Realmuto and Harper some additional DH at-bats this year. That might mean Kyle Schwarber sees a little more time in left field than he did a season ago. Heck, the Phillies are having Schwarber do some work at first base too.
Harper, of course, was the DH for the Phillies during their 2022 run to the World Series, but that was because he needed Tommy John surgery and couldn't play in the field. For his part, he prefers to play both sides of the game.
"You've still got to get going and get playing," Harper said. "You know what I'm saying? It's obviously, like, DH-ing, it's good for, you know, when I was hurt and things like that. Topper comes up to me and says he wants me to DH that day to get me off my feet. You've still got to be on your feet. So, kind of the same thing.
"He talked to me last year about it multiple times. He's like, 'Hey, do you want to DH today?' I'm like 'No.' Just because you still got to get on your feet, you got to play mentally, physically and things like that. You guys know how I gear up for games. And it's like it's the same thing. I just want to play."
Harper posted seven outs above average and five defensive runs saved over 1,233 1/3 regular-season innings at first base in 2024. Thomson acknowledged Saturday that Harper is still getting used to how to handle balls hit between the first and second baseman, but the Phillies were extremely happy with how his first year at the position went. Still, even if Harper doesn't love it, a few more DH days might be good as you try to keep him healthy in his age-32 season.
Having Harper return, even once in a while, to the outfield is not on the table.
"No," Thomson said succinctly when asked. "No, he's gonna play first base."
Bryce Harper talks about his contract @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/7U6T4OdvRF
As for the now years-long storyline about Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, wanting to extend his current contract beyond 2031, the eight-time All-Star was pretty to the point.
"I think that's a question for Scott and John [Middleton] and Dave [Dombrowski]," Harper said. "I'm here to play baseball. I'm here to understand that we're trying to win a World Series. If that gets done this year or any other year, we want to get that done."
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