Bryce Harper’s Top 5 Home Runs of 2021
Bryce Harper’s third season in Philadelphia was his best season in red pinstripes to this point, as he slashed .309/.429/.615 with 35 home runs, 84 RBIs, 100 walks and a 6.6 fWAR, en route to winning the National League MVP.
With Monday marking three years since the Phillies and Harper agreed to a 13-year/$330 million deal, here’s a look back at his top 5 home runs from this past season:
No. 5: The Mountains Turned Blue
April 25 was a disastrous day for the Phillies as a whole, but that came despite Harper’s best efforts.
In the first three innings, Harper homered twice and recorded an outfield assist. That didn’t stop the Rockies — led by a grand slam from Trevor Story — from defeating the Phillies 12-2.
Nonetheless, Harper’s second home run of the day at Coors Field was a majestic one, as it traveled 468 feet:
No. 4: Big Fish Theory
Sometimes, you remember a titanic home run more than the actual game it took place in.
Even though he struck out 11 Miami Marlins on June 30, Aaron Nola allowed nine hits and seven earned runs. 865 feet worth of home runs from Harper wasn’t enough to overcome that, as the Phillies lost 11-6 at Citizens Bank Park.
Strangely enough, the Phillies have now lost three consecutive games where Harper homers multiple times, dating back to the beginning of the 2020 season:
No. 3: The King Of New York
For nearly all of Harper’s seven-season tenure with the Washington Nationals — much to his chagrin — there was speculation about him eventually joining the New York Yankees.
That, of course, never came to pass, but Harper likes to put on a show every time he visits New York.
After he hit what turned out to be a game-winning home run in the second leg of a June doubleheader, Harper took time to wave and blow kisses, before taking it upon himself to give the fans a curtain call:
Afterwards, Harper had a pretty funny reaction when asked about the moment by Crossing Broad‘s Bob Wankel:
No. 2: “Pretty Cool”
Throughout his career, Harper has typically been good for a few home runs in excess of 450 feet each year.
But Harper’s inside-the-park-home run on July 27 might have been the most exciting one that he hit in 2021.
“I probably definitely hit one at a younger age, just because of the big fields and things like that,” Harper said, as noted by MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki. “Hitting one right there was pretty cool. I was pretty happy and pretty fired up in that situation.
No. 1: Powder Blue Bryce Dooms The Cubs … Again
To this point, Harper’s most memorable home run as a Phillie came on Aug. 16, 2019 when he hit a walk-off grand slam against the Chicago Cubs as the Phillies donned their powder blue throwback uniforms.
For the second time in three years with the Phillies, Harper’s top home run of the season came in a Thursday night game against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.
On Sept. 16, the Phillies erased a seven-run deficit to secure a 17-8 win over the Cubs, capped off by Harper’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning:
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