May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Phillies Star Has Been Heating Up Over Recent Stretch

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 12, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies are set to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in their series finale on Sunday with the chance of taking the set. In order to do so, they will need a star player to continue his good performance of late.

Through 14 games, Philadelphia sits with a 7-7 record, and .500 sums up their year pretty well so far. There have been some good performances and bad performances, with inconsistencies being an issue early.

With it being still very early on in the campaign, one good streak can send the Phillies right where they want to be on top of the National League East, but the team has some issues they are working through.

In the starting rotation, the unit is undoubtedly missing Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler right now. With Suarez now with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia will be hoping that Wheeler continues to get his strength back and can return to the rotation soon.

Furthermore, the lineup has really been the area of concern so far. While there are a lot of big names and familiar faces, the unit was shut out for two straight games against the San Francisco Giants, and scoring has been an issue. Fortunately, one of their key players is heating up of late, and that can be a difference-maker for the team.

Bryce Harper Heating Up

After a bit of a mediocre campaign by his standards in 2025, the pressure is on for Harper to have a good year. This was a unit that saw an MVP-caliber season from Kyle Schwarber in 2025, but they haven’t seen that from Harper in recent seasons.

Staying on the field has certainly been an issue for him in recent campaigns, but he also has only had one season with an OPS of .900 or better in the last four years. When he gets hot, there are few players in baseball who are as good as him. However, he can also go through some extended slumps.

With a need for offense right now, Harper has been playing very well over the last nine games. During that stretch, he has an OPS of 1.197, totaling three home runs, four doubles, and seven RBI.

Those are the types of numbers that Philadelphia wants to see out of their star, and he has been delivering of late. With other key players in the lineup struggling, it is key that Harper is able to play at an elite level right now to help carry the group.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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