The Phillies are sending a few guys to the All-Star Game next month. Bryce Harper is one of them, which isn’t exactly shocking. What’s less certain is whether he’ll actually swing for the fences in the Home Run Derby.
Harper got in via the commissioner’s pick. That’s the mechanism that lets Rob Manfred add big-name players when the fan vote and player ballot leave someone out. Fair or not, it’s how the system works, and Harper’s presence in Seattle was basically guaranteed before the selection was even announced.
But the Home Run Derby question is trickier. Harper won it in 2018, back when his dad was throwing to him. That father-son connection is a real thing in the Derby world. Guys like Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge have trusted family or longtime coaches on the mound for them. It’s a rhythm thing. A comfort thing.
Harper admitted as much recently. He said he’s talked to some former teammates about throwing to him, but it’s not the same. “I can trust a couple of them, but it’s just hard for me to tell you the truth,” Harper told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “Not being able to do it with somebody that I’m super comfortable with, it’s a hard thing to think about. They may throw to you one time before you take the field to hit in a Home Run Derby.”
And that’s the problem. Harper doesn’t want to show up and just go through the motions. He said pretty clearly that if he’s going to do it, he’s going all in. “I’m not going to do something if I’m going to have a half-mentality towards it, because I’m worried about the pitcher, or I’m worried about what’s going to happen, or anything else,” he said. “If I’m going to do it, I want to be full bore and very confident in winning it. I’m not going to do it unless I’m going to try to win it. You know what I’m saying? I’m not going out there just to have fun, like I want to win the thing.”
So the decision comes down to whether he can find someone he trusts enough to make him feel that locked in. His dad isn’t an option this time around. That leaves Harper in a weird spot. He’s one of the biggest stars in the sport, coming off an MVP-caliber season, and fans obviously want to see him take his hacks in the Derby. But he’s also the kind of competitor who doesn’t want to be a prop in the show. He wants to win it.
As of now, nothing is decided. The Phillies haven’t announced anything, and Harper is taking his time. That alone tells you something. If it happens, it’ll be because he found his guy. If it doesn’t, it’ll be because he didn’t.
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