Should Philadelphia Phillies Play Harper at First Base Permanently Moving Forward?
The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling through the postseason. They have lost just one game en route to a 2-0lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
A lot of that has been due to the incredible pitching from Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, but the bats have also been swinging, as evidenced by a 10-0 shutout win on Tuesday.
But one big surprise this series has been the defense and just how good it's been.
One standout has been Bryce Harper at first base who is playing like it has always been his natural position.
Over the course of 303 innings during the regular season, Harper posted a +1 Rdrs. That's pretty great for a guy who just took up the position, but that's vintage Harper.
So, could Philadelphia opt to keep him there full time moving forward?
It would help solve a few of the positional clogs they have in the outfield. It could also save them money in the winter to be able to then spend on pitching. As for Harper, it saves wear and tear on his body so he can play well into his 40's, one of his goals aside from winning a World Series.
However, Harper made it known this week that he is open to playing both right field and first.
“Of course, with Rhys possibly coming back, whatever that determines or whatever happens with that, I expect him to go back to first base and me go to the outfield and play out there in some capacity,” Harper said. “But I don’t mind giving them the option, even if he does come back, if Rhys needs a day off, or giving them the option to put me at first base and them knowing, ‘Hey, we can put him there at any point and he’ll be fine.'”
Whatever the Phillies decide to do with Harper will likely not be the wrong choice. Harper has proven he can play just about anywhere and in capacity he has been asked to thus far.
The question remains whether or not Harper should remain at first base permanently.
Considering health, injury and his current performance at the position, it is an option well worth looking into.
