Aug 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper swings at a pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
The last time Bryce Harper led off a game in the regular season, the game didn't matter.
It was the day after the Phillies had clinched their first playoff berth in 11 years in Houston in 2022. In the hangover game after a vibrant celebration in the visiting clubhouse, the Phillies were blanked 10-0 by the Astros. Harper led off and went 1-for-4.
Those waiting for a sequel waited nearly three years. It took the left side of the infield to land on the injured list and the red hot Brandon Marsh to come down with the flu, but it's happening again - and this time, it might be for more than one game and certainly will be in games that matter.
Bryce Harper on Trea Turner going to the IL, and leading off tonight.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/q7fOO7fZnX
The Phillies actually got good news on Trea Turner's hamstring strain. It's a grade 1 strain, which is the lowest grade it can be. Manager Rob Thomson compared it to the same hamstring strain Edmundo Sosa suffered at the end of the 2022 regular season. He missed three weeks and in his first game back, in Game 1 of the Wild Card series scored a huge run as a pinch runner against St. Louis.
Alec Bohm has been grinding through a shoulder injury. According to The Athletic, (behind a paywall) he has a cyst in his shoulder that needs to be drained and treated with an injection. He should only miss 10 days.
Marsh was at the ballpark, but didn't take part in any pre-game activities. manager Rob Thomson said he was in the recovery room sleeping, but that he was feeling pretty sick.
This left the Phillies with few options to lead off at the top of the lineup.
They didn't want to move Schwarber from the No. 2 hole, where he's hit 30 of his 49 homers and has driven in 76 runs. This left them with few choices.
"Ultimately, it's my call," Thomson said. "But I do talk to the hitting coaches every day and we were just talking about stacking everybody at the top, getting them as many at bats as we can and go from there."
Harper has an approach that would translate to the modern day leadoff spot. A good combination of selectivity, power and production. Other good teams have turned to star players with similar profiles and have had great success.
Harper, though, has always preferred hitting between 2 and 4 in the lineup. Prior to that game in 2022, Harper did lead off for the Phillies 20 times, but all were prior to Thomson's tenure.
He had two separate stretches of four games in 2019 where he led off. He was 8-for-30 with three homers and nine RBIs. He had an OPS of .972, but the Phillies went 2-6.
Prior to his time in Philadelphia, he led off 28 times for the Nationals in seven years. So, while this isn't his preferred spot in the order, it's not unfamiliar territory.
"It's something we all wanted to try and we'll see how it goes," Harper said. "Obviously you start the game but it's the only time you (are guaranteed) to hit first. I did it in high school and did it for a little bit in the big leagues with the Nationals and did it for a second here earlier in my career. I'm excited."
Harper said he won't approach the spot in the order any differently, choosing to just be himself - even though he's scuffling of late (5-for-32).
Bryce Harper is 5 for his last 32 (.156)…..
Bryce struggles when he uses his flexor digitorum superficialis to hold the bat with his right hand…..
He’s at his best when he uses his flexor digiti minimi and his interossei muscles to hold the bat with his right hand…..
There… pic.twitter.com/k3rfl6gVPq
But, in his Phillies career he has a .282 batting average and a .386 on base percentage - both are excellent for the first hitter in a lineup.
With all the debates over the Phillies lineup the last few years, the one thing the team never really tried, but could have, was Harper in the leadoff position. They didn't, because they wanted to ensure Harper was comfortable in his spot in the order.
But desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Phillies magic number to make the playoffs is nine. More importantly, their magic number to repeat as NL Eastern Division champions is 13. They can educe that by two with each win over the Mets this week.
And most importantly, their magic number to clinch a first round bye is 15, assuming they can take 2-of-3 from the Dodgers next week, but is 16 if they were to lose that series as L.A. would then have the tiebreaker.
Getting the bye is paramount, especially with Turner's injury, as it would basically buy the Phillies an extra week of recovery for their shortstop.
And Harper recognizes that importance, which is why he'[s bought into being the leadoff guy for a bit.
"It's that time of year where everybody is all in and we've got to play," Thomson said.
