Bryce Harper slugs 40th home run, further solidifies MVP candidacy
If there was starting to be any question about the National League MVP race, Bryce Harper is putting that all to rest with his latest hot streak.
Over his last 12 games, Harper is hitting .409/.500/.1200 with nine home runs and 13 RBIs. That includes his 2-for-5 performance in Wednesday’s 12-2 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies, which culminated with his 40th home run of the season.
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Harper has already career highs across the board in what qualifies as his true breakout season.
He’s also making a serious push to lead the National League in every major offensive category. The only “big” one he doesn’t currently lead is the RBI column. He’s 19 behind Colorado’s Nolan Arenado, which all but eliminates the triple crown possibility. But he’s leading pretty much everywhere else, including homers, total hits, average, right on down the line to OPS and OPS+.
That’s a monster season worthy of all MVP hype that’s coming Harper’s way. Even with the Nationals fading down the stretch, there’s little to no case to be made against Harper barring his own unlikely fade down the stretch.
Of course, reaching the 40-homer plateau for the first time will only solidify Harper’s case. However, there’s a lot more significance to reaching that number than simply upgrading his 2015 résumé, it also elevates him to elite status in his own organization and within the game of baseball.
Check out these facts.
If you can’t see the fine print, Harper joined Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Johnny Bench, Eddie Mathews, Joe DiMaggio, and Mel Ott in that exclusive group.
If possible, that would certainly be a baseball worth owning if Harper could get his hands on it.
Fortunately for him, a Phillies fan wasn’t asking for much.
In his professional career, Harper probably hasn’t had too many nights better than Wednesday in Philadelphia. The good news is there should be plenty more just like it in the years to come.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
