Upon his return to Clearwater after participating in the World Baseball Classic, Bryce Harper spoke to the collective media Thursday — including Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press — and revealed a lofty goal for 2026.
"...Obviously, that's a big thing for me, so if I can hone in my strike zone and understand I'm really good when I walk ... so if I can walk 140, 150 times this year, then I think I'll be right where I want to be."
Bryce Harper aiming to draw 140-150 walks this season. His career-high is 130 walks with Washington in 2018. He walked 124 times in his first MVP season and 100 in his second. pic.twitter.com/lPE9Bda0Hw
The most Harper has ever walked in a season was 130 in 2018, while he drew 124 bases on balls in 2015 and 100 in 2021, the two seasons he won NL MVP. So even 140 would be a new career-high. It would set a new franchise record, as Lenny Dykstra's 129 walks in 1993 are the current high water mark. And while Juan Soto has averaged 129 walks per year over the last three seasons, there's a pretty good chance Harper would lead baseball if he reaches his goal.
It's fair to wonder how realistic walking 140-150 times is, particularly if Harper has to spend any time on the injured list. But trying to get back to walking more is a good goal. Harper walked 70 times in 132 games last year, a 12.1% walk percentage. For most players, that would be great. But Harper has averaged a 14.4% walk percentage in 14 MLB seasons, so it was a decline for him.
It's probably not a coincidence that Harper also posted a 35.4% O-Swing percentage last year, a metric that measures how often a batter chases pitches outside the strike zone. By comparison, he had just a 24.9% O-Swing percentage in 2021.
To be fair to Harper, there wasn't adequate lineup protection for him in the cleanup spot last year, which probably contributed to him pressing and feeling like he had to do it all. He acknowledged at the outset of Spring Training that the Phillies need more out of the No. 4 spot this season, with Alec Bohm likely to get the first crack at hitting cleanup. Rob Thomson may also flip Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the batting order this season, although that's not set in stone. Wherever Harper hits, he seems to be signaling that he's going to be content with passing the baton in 2026.
Chances are, even if he plays 162 games, Harper isn't going to walk 140-150 times in 2026. However, a year ago, Thomson told Trea Turner that he wanted him to post a .380 on-base percentage, among other goals. Turner didn't reach that goal, but still posted a .355 on-base percentage — his highest mark in four years — en route to a fifth-place finish in NL MVP voting. So if Harper aims for 140-150 walks and ends up with 115, he and the Phillies will likely be very happy with how his season plays out.
