PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Bryce Harper made headlines in May for helping a New Jersey high school student ask his date to the prom. On the field, Harper’s bat came alive to help the Philadelphia Phillies to a 20-7 month.
MLB on Monday named Harper its National League Player of the Month for May. Harper is the second Phillie to take home Player of the Month honors this season. Ranger Suarez was the NL Pitcher of the Month for March and April.
The 31-year-old Harper hit .313/.407/.583 with a .990 on-base plus slugging (OPS), five doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBIs, 16 walks, 19 runs scored, 30 hits and a 1.4 fWAR in 26 games.
Harper led the NL in OPS and RBIs and was tied for first in home runs and fWAR in May.
The two-time NL MVP has been a key cog in the Phillies’ machine this season. Philadelphia enters Monday with the best record in the NL at 41-19 and second-best in the MLB, behind the New York Yankees (42-19).
The Phillies won 20 games in May, mostly without star shortstop Trea Turner. Turner suffered from a hamstring injury on May 3but short stop Edmundo Sosa has retained more than his own interpretation.
Sosa nearly matched Harper’s May, hitting .597 with a .972 OPS in 23 games. Sosa hit .306 last month with three home runs, four doubles, four triples, 22 hits and 17 runs scored. Sosa was a free swinger and also walked six times, the most he has ever walked in a month in his career.
Monday evening the Phillies welcome Rhys Hoskins back to Philadelphia for the first time since signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. Harpers transition to first base closed the book on Hoskins’ career as a Phillie.
Later this week, Harper and the Phillies are heading to London for a two-game series against the New York Mets as part of MLB’s World Tour.
Expect Harper to be in the thick of it.
