At Citizens Bank Park, Bryce Harper feels larger than life.
Now, the Phillies first baseman has the appropriate superhero treatment to match.
Harper is the latest player to be spotlighted in Major League Baseball’s anime-inspired “Heroes of the Game" series, which debuted ahead of Opening Day and is a part of the league’s “Baseball is Something Else” brand campaign.
Harper becomes the fifth star to be featured, joining the Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez (April 13), the Pirates’ Paul Skenes (April 25), the Yankees’ Aaron Judge (April 30), and the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. (May 6). Each player has a video with anime-styled live action animation, highlighting their “superhero” strength.
Monday’s video features Harper slugging a home run in front of his home crowd -- cheered on by the Phillie Phanatic, among others.
As the “Heroes” spotlight indicates, Harper really does seem to feed off the energy of his home crowd. Since joining the Phillies via a 13-year, $330 million contract ahead of the 2019 season, he’s slashing .299/.414/.582 at Citizens Bank Park.
Some of Harper’s biggest moments with the Phillies have come in front of a raucous home crowd, especially during “Red October.” Who can forget Harper’s go-ahead, two-run homer in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS to vault Philadelphia to the World Series?
“Philly is not just his home, it’s the source of his power,” the video’s narrator says.
The pitchers tasked with trying to retire Harper at Citizens Bank Park have dealt with the side effects for awhile.