Phillies’ Bryce Harper wins his third Silver Slugger

Bryce Harper has won his third career National League Silver Slugger Award, MLB announced on Thursday. Harper was the lone Phillies hitter to win the award. The Phillies had four Silver Slugger award finalists: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Harper.

Harper, 31, hit .293/.401/.499 over 126 games this season with a .900 OPS. He hit 21 home runs over that span. He first won the Silver Slugger award in 2015, and again in 2021, but this go-around might be the most impressive of the three. Harper began his season on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Nov. 23.

One-hundred and sixty days later — and without going through a rehab assignment — Harper returned to the Phillies as a designated hitter (and eventually, a first baseman). Studies show that Tommy John surgery can have a negative effect on a hitter’s power, but Harper didn’t show many signs of slowing down.

He went 0-for-4 in his first game back, on May 2, and had a three-hit game on May 3. He hit his first home run of the season on May 6. He finished the month of May with a .315/.410/.483 slash line. His slugging percentage dropped to .295 in June but surged to .438 in July, .784 in August and .483 in September/October, culminating in a season that was Silver Slugger-worthy.

Voted on by managers and coaches, the Silver Slugger Awards are given to the top offensive player at each position. Harper won his first two Silver Sluggers as an outfielder and this one as a designated hitter.