Bryce Harper is a showman. Always has been. The guy grew up in Las Vegas, hit the cover off the ball as a teenager, and has spent his entire career finding ways to put on a performance. He won the Home Run Derby in 2018 as a National in Washington, storming back to beat Kyle Schwarber in the final round. Now he wants to do it again for the Phillies on July 13 at Citizens Bank Park. But he’s got a suggestion that would make the whole thing completely unhinged.
Harper told ESPN’s Buster Olney that when the gold balls come out at the end of each round, the hitters should be allowed to switch to aluminum bats. Not wooden bats. The loud, pingy, all-metal bats you used in Little League. Imagine a 97 mph fastball meeting an aluminum barrel. The ball would leave the park at a speed that makes your brain hurt.
Fans would absolutely lose their minds. Players would probably feel like gods. But would MLB actually approve this? Almost certainly not. And it’s not just because of tradition.
Safety is a real problem here. Aluminum bats generate more exit velocity than wood. That’s not a guess that’s physics. Harder hits mean harder comebackers toward the pitcher, harder line drives into the stands, and harder balls for the kids sprinting around the outfield to grab as souvenirs. The league would need to clear the outfield entirely or put up netting that stretches halfway to the moon. Neither of those feels like something Rob Manfred is rushing to sign off on.
So the aluminum bat idea probably stays in the fantasy zone. But that’s not the point. The point is that Harper is still trying to think of ways to make the Derby more electric. The guy gets it. He understands that the Home Run Derby is entertainment first and a competition second. He wants to give people a moment they’ll talk about for years.
Harper is hitting .261 with a .870 OPS and 20 homers through 94 games this season. He’s been steady if not spectacular, but the Derby is where he tends to unlock something. He’ll face the Tigers this weekend before stepping into the cage on Monday night to chase his second title.
Whether he uses wood or aluminum, he’s going to put on a show. That’s just who he is.
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