Phillies Bryce Harper Ranks Among Games Best First Basemen

The Philadelphia Phillies (69-47) have held the best record in MLB this season on more than one occasion for multiple weeks. With a roster that seems to be without any holes, it is easy to see why they have been so successful. A big part of their success has been the offensive production of their superstar first baseman Bryce Harper .

In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter ranked the 10 best players at each position right now. Bryce Harper finds himself ranked second.

Ranked first in last month's power rankings, Harper drops to second after an extended slump diminished his July production. Batting only .149/.240/.358 with four home runs, nine RBI, and a 62 OPS+ in July, the future Hall of Famer did not look like himself at the plate.

Harper has broken out of his slump of late and has batted .324/.361/.588 with two home runs, four RBI, and a 151 OPS+ through eight games and 36 plate appearances so far in August.

For the season, Harper enters Saturday with a .278/.369/.544 line with 26 home runs, 71 RBI, and a 153 OPS+. He was named to his eighth All-Star Game this season, and will surely bring home more hardware at season's end.

One piece of hardware that may be coming Harper's way is his first Gold Glove. Harper has been spectacular in his first full season at first base, to the tune of six Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant, placing him in the top eight percent.

Harper continues to be as spectacular as advertised all those years ago. He adds to his Hall of Fame resume year after year, and the Phillies are glad that the best part of his career has come in red pinstripes.