The Philadelphia Phillies may have a future owner on their hands in Bryce Harper.
The Phillies superstar was given a 13-year, $330 million contract in 2019, then the largest in baseball history. After finishing his current deal, he will be one of the highest-paid players in the sport’s history.
Because of this, he has the money to own a baseball team partially, should he choose to.
According to Stephen J. Nesbitt and Zack Meisel of The Athletic, Harper is interested in doing so and has a future manager in mind.
Harper believes that Phillies superstar slugger Kyle Schwarber would make an excellent future skipper.
What Did the Philadelphia Phillies Slugger Say?
This isn’t just an idea that popped up in Harper’s head. He’s actually thought about this. And it’s an obtainable goal now.
Buster Posey and Derek Jeter are some examples of transitions from the diamond to the front office.
The difference is that Harper has already picked his skipper, even if he thinks it’s a joke now.
“I was messing with him about that,” Harper said. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re going to be the best manager. If I ever own a team, you’re going to manage my team.’”
While Schwarber may not agree at this moment, Harper has definitely given him something to think about.
And he might be right.
Schwarber, over the years, has been nothing but a consummate professional. He hasn’t stirred up much drama in his career. Schwarber’s teammates have a lot of respect for the slugger and the way he competes.
His competitiveness and leadership abilities give people the feeling that he could be a future manager. He has experience with failure and success. This is important for managers to have.
He’s not only faced failure in his career, but has also experienced a World Series championship.
If Harper becomes an owner one day, fans shouldn’t be surprised if Schwarber is his choice for skipper.
More On the Duo
While Schwarber is having an MVP-caliber season, don’t sneeze at what Harper is doing either.
Harper is having a resurgent season after raising questions about whether he was still a “superstar”.
This led to conflicts with Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, on the subject. However, it seems that Harper has put that behind him.
This season, Harper is slashing .274/.374/.532 with 20 home runs and 57 runs driven in. That .908 OPS is above his career average.
While it may not be deserving of MVP, he is still worthy of an All-Star selection. In 2025, he missed the cut to be an All-Star but looks to participate at Citizen’s Bank Park soon.
Meanwhile, Schwarber has 30 home runs already, and has a career high .935 OPS in the first half. He is a no-brainer for an All-Star selection at designated hitter behind Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. But he also may be an MVP finalist.
While Ohtani is the clear favorite as of now, if Schwarber hits over 60 home runs with a similar OPS, he could steal some votes from the four-time MVP.
Until then, Schwarber and Harper will continue to focus on the Phillies’ recent success, as they fight for the NL East.
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