When a baseball player reaches the elusive 300-home run mark, especially at the tender age of 30, the baseball world takes notice, and dreams of greater (possibly historic) milestones begin to become a real possibility.
For Philadelphia Phillies superstar slugger Bryce Harper, those dreams include 500+ home runs, 3,000+ hits, and a coveted spot in the Hall of Fame.
But Harper’s aspirations don’t stop there – he’s even expressed his desire to play until he’s 45. In other words, he plans to be the Tom Brady of Major League Baseball.
Following his historic 300th home run, Harper doubled down on his commitment to the Phillies, even beyond his current 13-year, $330 million contract.
“[I’m] just super grateful to play this game, and very fortunate to sign a long-term deal here … hopefully sign a couple more years as well, just to be able to play this great game in this great city.”
“I love where I’m at on a personal level, and where the team is at as well. But, like I said, there’s bigger numbers in my head, but 300 is pretty good,” Harper said.
Harper’s love for Philadelphia is undeniable: “I love being a Phillie, plain and simple. It’s something I dreamed about. This fanbase. This city, I love them. I really do, plain and simple. I feel like I’m part of this family, and they’re part of our family as well.”
“There’s just nothing like it. I can go on and on, everybody thinks I pander a lot, but it’s real. It’s so real, it’s from the bottom of my heart, and I’m just thankful to put this jersey on every single day.”
Bryce Harper's World Series home run may be my favorite playoff moment from the run. It's either that or bedlam at the bank pic.twitter.com/PWEVcIOJ0l
— Explaining The Phillies (@ExplainingPhils) May 2, 2023
Needless to say, those quotes are music to the ears of the entire city of Philadelphia.
Harper’s current contract will end when he’s 39 years old, a point in his career when most players are already retired. However, Harper’s extraordinary competitiveness and his ability to recover from injuries have positioned him as a prime candidate to play well into his 40s.
The looming question now is whether Harper will sign a new contract with the Phillies. As long as he remains a valuable asset in the lineup, even transitioning to a designated hitter role if necessary, it seems almost certain that he’ll continue to grace Philadelphia with his presence.
BRYCE HARPER IS HIM 🔥 PHILLIES TAKE THE LEAD!!!
📺: FOX and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/2HQ7NQ1xWs
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 23, 2022
How long do you think Harper will play?
Assuming he stays healthy, what type of numbers do you think he will put up?
Will he go down as an all-time legend?