🔔 Crazy August Stats for Bryce Harper and Trea Turner

_{LAST GAME: ANGELS 10 - PHILLIES 8}

_{NEXT GAME: Phillies (Zack Wheeler) vs. Brewers (Freddy Peralta)}

_{Friday, Sept. 1, 8:10 EDT}

_{NBCSP, 94 WIP}

A brutal ninth inning and tough 10-8 loss wasn’t the ending you wanted, but Bryce Harper supplied one of the greatest moments in Citizens Bank Park regular season history when he briefly put the Phillies ahead late with his 300th career home run. The Phillies finished a successful nine-game homestand with a 7-2 mark to close August at 17-10 overall. They head into an off day with a three-game lead over the Cubs for the top National League wild-card spot.

In the email today:

Bryce Harper knows how to own a moment. Down to a final chance to hit his 300th career home run in front of the fans at Citizens Bank Park before an upcoming six-game road trip, he lifted a go-ahead two-run blast in the eighth that gave the Phillies a lead they would later blow. It was a miserable ninth inning, no doubt, but Harper still delivered a memorable swing that overshadowed an otherwise ugly loss.

Let us marvel at the following:

• So much for the concerns about his power.

  • Harper entered this month going deep just once every 63.6 plate appearances.

  • In August, he homered once every 11.5 plate appearances.

• He collected 20 extra-base hits in 26 August games en route to hitting .361 with a 1.236 OPS.

• He lifted his season OPS from a respectable .787 to an elite .905.

• He wrapped the Phillies’ nine-game homestand by reaching base in 23 of 41 plate appearances, hitting .471 with a 1.679 OPS. That will play.

Our take: Harper is out of his mind right now. His numbers tell the story, but his uncanny ability to capture the big moment time after time is what creates the stuff of living legends. Are the Phillies perfect? Absolutely not. But Harper finding his power stroke is a big reason why another deep postseason run doesn’t feel nearly as improbable as it did a month ago.

2)📈 Trea Turner Is All the Way Back

We still don’t know exactly what turned around Trea Turner’s season. If you want to believe it was the cheers he heard earlier this month, who am I to tell you otherwise? Here’s what I do know:

• Turner entered the month slashing an absolutely brutal .235/.290/.368. There was talk about sitting him down for a week, getting Edmundo Sosa more run at short, and hoping for a 2024 rebound.

• Turner broke out in August with 19 extra-base hits, including nine home runs. For the month, he hit .324 with a 1.043 OPS.

• He closed yesterday with a .747 OPS, the highest it has been since April 23.

Our take: They, whoever “they” are, say that the back of the baseball card tells the story. Well, for four months this season, it seemed like the back of his baseball card was lying. But Turner looks every bit of the player the Phillies thought they were getting when they signed him to an 11-year, $300 million deal last December. Along with Harper’s power surge, 2023 Trea Turner looking like 2016-2022 Trea Turner makes the Phillies a legitimate threat.

3) ❤️ Bryce Harper Shows the Love — And Some Self-Awareness

Does Harper pander? Yeah, with the best of ‘em. He definitely knows how to play the game. At the same time, do I think there is sincerity in his words and a genuine appreciation for the way he has been treated here?

Absolutely. The love is real.

4) 💧 Water Cooler

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• Playoffs? Zack Wheeler is a lock for a potential postseason rotation. What about the rest of it? 🤷‍♂️

• The Phillies had a great month of August, and you can relive some of the highlights. 🎞️

• Bryce Harper is currently signed through the 2031 season. Could he be in Philly beyond it? 👴🏻

• Details on the negotiation for the Bryce Harper’s home run ball, those pinstripe overalls, and a fun month of baseball. (paywall💰)

The newsletter today was written by: Bob Wankel (Follow on X)

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