How has Bryce Harper turned into a hitting machine?

In recent years, several players have come up the ranks in Major League Baseball and have taken the game by storm. Their stunning performances have enthralled and entertained the supporters of their respective teams and have helped them to become iconic figures in the sphere of MLB. One such player is Bryce Harper, who is one of the best batters in the game and is hailed as a contact hitting machine when it comes to hitting the ball out of the park in an effortless way.

The Phillies outfielder has earned his fame with consistent performances over a long period, ensuring that he is one of the best hitters among his contemporaries. He has the second-highest xwOBA in all of baseball, his strikeout numbers are down compared to 2018 and 2019, and his chase rate is actually above average compared to the rest of the MLB. This is an incredible achievement for a player who has been constantly mocked by the rival fans and the experts for not getting a good average while batting, which Harper has turned around with his brilliant performances with the bat in the recent past.

As for the 2021 season, the Phillies player has recorded an average of .311/.434/.555. This is definitely an unexpected development on the player who has made a statement with his recent performances after being mocked for his high strikeout rates throughout his entire playing career. He currently ranks 16th across all qualified hitters in batting average and stands at the fifth position in the National League. This is definitely an incredible feat for the player to achieve in terms of the reformation of his game.

Experts have analyzed this radical shift in his performance and have credited his change of stance and hitting style for his success in Major League Baseball. According to David Essar, a popular Phillies podcaster, the change in stance has worked in favour of the player. He wrote on his Twitter handle, “Bryce Harper’s two strike approach is currently one of the best in baseball. Widens the stance, shortens the swing up a bit, and just focuses on putting the ball in play. Elite stuff.”

This change in style and stance has evidently worked in favour of the MLB player and he is currently having one of the best career averages when it comes to hitting the ball. His current.311 average ranks fifth in the NL (as previously stated), his OBP ranks second, his SLG ranks seventh, and his OPS fifth. This is an incredible feat to achieve for any player and the Phillies outfielder has proved his critics wrong with his incredible performances with the bat in recent times, making a big statement in front of the fans of the Phillies and the rival fans as well, who used to mock him for his low average with the bat in the recent past.