Bryce Harper has been absolutely on fire during this postseason run and opposing pitchers have taken notice with his sky-high walk rate in these playoffs. The left-handed mashing first-baseman has a patient approach and quality eye at the plate, and with an opportune matchup we will look to cash in on his patience with today’s player prop. Similarly, our'MLB player prop bets have also been on fire, as we’re currently on a 9-1 r un! Can we make it a perfect 10? Let’s dive in, but make sure you also check out our 3-star best bet in our'Diamondbacks vs Phillies predictions.
Bryce Harper (PHI) over 0.5 walks (+100) (to win 0.5u)
Bryce Harper is one of baseball’s best players, and his current form is exactly what the Phillies fanbase and organization hoped for when signing him to his mega contract. The talented player has been in the spotlight for over half his life, as he was notably one of the sport’s most hyped prospects from a young age. Now a first baseman, his role has changed on the defensive end, but his production at the plate is still as good as ever. He began the season late with an injury that held him out until May, but the slugger produced a .900 OPS in his 126 regular season games played. So far in the postseason, he is producing a 1.521 OPS thanks to 4 home runs and 8 walks in his 30 PA.
During the regular season, Harper posted a hefty 14.7% walk rate, a 96th percentile mark and the 4th highest percentage among qualified batters. In his final 32 regular season games, Bryce drew 1 or more walks in 22 of those games while generating a 21.3% BB% in that span. He recorded 29 free passes during that sample to only 25 strikeouts, exemplifying fantastic plate discipline. Among those walks, 4 were intentional, as opposing managers opted to walk him with runners on base rather than risk a multi-run event at the hands of the Phillies’ best hitter. This managerial hesitation to pitch to him has carried over into the postseason with at least 1 walk in 5 of 7 postseason games.