Since the Washington Nationals selected Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, there have been many criticisms of the slugging outfielder, most of which have since proven not to be based in reality.
But even with the Philadelphia Phillies outfielder now one of 32 players in MLB history to win multiple MVPs, some of the more baseless claims about Harper haven't subsided.
The Athletic ranked the top 125 hitters in baseball ahead of the 2022 season, with Harper not appearing in "Tier 1," which is described as "franchise players." Instead Harper was grouped in "Tier 2," which the outlet describes as players who are "MVP caliber." There's a debate to be had about whether the six-time All-Star should have been in the first tier, but it's hardly a dis to say someone is an MVP-caliber player, especially when you consider that Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Rafael Devers were among those who also fell into this category.
However, the input that an unnamed scout offered on Harper was pretty stinging:
As for the feedback on Harper, multiple sources pointed to his subpar defense, while one scout asked, “Does any superstar do less to make players around him better?”
Harper is not a perfect player, as evidenced by what have been inconsistent defensive metrics since joining the Phillies. While Harper posted 11 defensive runs saved and one out above average in 2019, he has -7 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average in the two seasons since then.
For portions of the last two seasons, Harper has played through injuries, which certainly didn't make it easier for him to play in the outfield. It should also be noted that defensive metrics are consistently being improved, and the numbers that we use now may very well seem obsolete in 10 or 15 years. But the metrics do back up what your eyes have shown you -- Harper was a deserving Gold Glove Award finalist in his first season with the Phillies, and hasn't played at that level in right field since.
We point out the legitimacy of concerns about Harper's defense to then say that the idea that he "does less to make players around him better" than other superstars is the type of baseless criticism that you would expect to hear at a bar, not from a professional scout.
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This type of argument makes sense in basketball, football, soccer and hockey, where everyone is sharing one ball or puck. While baseball is a team sport, there's not a legitimate way to quantify how one player makes others around him better other than to look at his individual production. Harper is coming off a season where he slashed .309/.429/.615 with 35 home runs, 84 RBIs, 100 walks, a 1.044 OPS and a 6.6 fWAR. If that represents not helping to bolster the improvement of your team in the way other stars do, then we need to completely rethink how we evaluate baseball.
The guess here is that the same type of person making this criticism will laud Harper if the Phillies reach the postseason in 2022, given that they've added Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber to form one of the deepest lineups in baseball. And if that's how you evaluate an individual player's value, perhaps you shouldn't be a major league scout.
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