LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One of the best baseball players Las Vegas has ever produced is being recognized as one of the best ball players in the world.
Bryce Harper was just named the MVP of the National League after a career year with the Philadelphia Phillies. This is Harper's second career MVP award and his first with the Phillies.
Harper received 17 of 30 first-place votes and 348 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Juan Soto was second with six firsts and 274 points, and Fernando Tatis third with two firsts and 244 points.
Harper was born and raised in Las Vegas, excelling at baseball from an early age. He attended Las Vegas High School, where he was such a highly touted prospect that he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 years old with the title, "The chosen one," and the article called him the most exciting sports prodigy since Lebron James.
At 17 years old, Harper was drafted first overall by the Washington Nationals and made his major league debut two years later when he was 19. That same year he won National League Rookie of the Year, and four years later he won his first MVP award with the Nationals. At 23 years old, he was the youngest player ever to be named unanimous MVP.
In 2019, Harper switched teams, signing a megadeal in free agency with the Philadelphia Phillies worth $330 million dollars over 13 years. Now, two years later, Harper can call himself a two-time MLB MVP.
"I'm very excited. I've got so many people to thank, of course my family, my wife. This year was tough. It started off getting hit in the face. It was definitely a tough couple days for me, tough couple weeks for me trying to get back. I was able to get back. My teammates were incredible throughout the entire process of trying to get me back," Harper said in an emotional interview on the MLB Network this afternoon.
Later in that interview, Harper lightened the mood by thanking his personal chef for his success this season.
Perhaps the only thing he has left to accomplish now is winning the World Series. He's only 29 years old so he still has plenty of time.
