Bryce Harper: Supporting Actor or Still the Phillies' Leading Man?
The Philadelphia Phillies are dominating the NL East, but Bryce Harper seems content in a supporting role. With Kyle Schwarber's home run surge and impressive performances from starting pitchers and new additions like Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran, the focus has shifted away from the two-time MVP. Is Harper still the alpha of the team, or is he happy just winning?
Harper's Perspective on Team Dynamics
Despite not having his best season statistically, Bryce Harper emphasizes the importance of a team-first mentality. When asked if it's still "his team," Harper laughed, stating, "I think it’s everybody’s team in here." He recognizes Kyle Schwarber's exceptional year and the attention it brings, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is winning. Harper explicitly stated, "I’ve never been that type of guy where I wanted it to be my team or someone else’s team. Our main goal is winning. That’s everybody’s mindset.”
The Phillies' recent dominance over the Mets has fueled talk of a World Series run. Their confidence is high even with injuries to key players like Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm. After being swept by the Mets weeks ago, the team went on an 11-3 tear and extended their lead in the division.
Harper's Individual Performance and Postseason Outlook
While this hasn't been Harper's best regular season due to wrist inflammation, he remains optimistic. Despite batting only .216 in September before a recent 2-for-4 performance, Harper is focused on finishing strong and carrying that momentum into the postseason. He looks forward to the "bright lights, the bigger moments" that October brings. The Phillies confidence right now, is high even without Wheeler.
Team Chemistry and the Mets' Struggles
Nick Castellanos highlights the Phillies' belief that they have "all the pieces and then some to win a World Series." Their positive team environment contrasts sharply with the struggling Mets, who, despite their $340 million payroll, are in danger of missing the playoffs. The Mets, once the best team in the majors, are struggling for a wild-card spot. Chemistry can be elusive, difficult to capture, difficult to define. But whatever that quality is, the Phillies sure seem to have it.
The team's dynamic is partly fueled by the potential free agency of key players like Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez, as well as the energy brought by deadline acquisitions. Kyle Schwarber's humble leadership further strengthens their bond. Harper seems comfortable playing a secondary role in the team’s success. He said, “At the end of the day, I’m still me, whatever that looks like. Each night I go out there and just try to be Bryce.”
Bryce Harper: Clutch or Unclutch?
Following a loss to the Miami Marlins, some fans questioned if Bryce Harper has become "unclutch." He is still very much beloved in Philadelphia, and it would take a series of events for him to be anything less than adored. But his campaign in progress has lacked the dramatic verve and superhuman defiance that is expected of him. Defining "clutch" is complex, but sabermetrics offers a measure to assess it.
Defining and Measuring "Clutch"
The concept of "clutch" is subjective, often described as "I know it when I see it." However, sabermetrics provides a more concrete measure. FanGraphs uses a statistic called "Clutch," which combines win probability added with leverage index to determine how a player performs in high-pressure situations compared to a neutral environment. Per David Appleman of FanGraphs, clutch is a “measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment”.
A positive "Clutch" score indicates better performance in high-leverage situations, while a negative score indicates the opposite. A score of 0 is average, 2 is excellent, and -2 is terrible. In 2025, Harper’s Clutch SCORE is -0.24. Which is to say, he hasn’t been clutch. But he hasn’t been terribly unclutch, either.
| Phillies Clutch, 2025 | Score |
|---|---|
| Bryson Stott | 0.77 |
| Alec Bohm | 0.28 |
| J.T. Realmuto | -0.14 |
| Bryce Harper | -0.23 |
| Trea Turner | -0.76 |
| Kyle Schwarber | -0.99 |
| Nick Castellanos | -2.17 |
Interpreting Clutch Performance and Overall Value
Harper's "Clutch" score of -0.24 suggests he's been slightly below average in high-leverage moments. Interestingly, players like Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, who are having strong seasons, also have negative "Clutch" scores. The disappointment regarding Harper may stem from higher expectations based on his past heroics. We expect herculean heroics from Harper. We expect bedlam in every big at bat. And should he not deliver, we feel a bit bereft, not because we expected him to fail, but because we expected him not to.
