PHILADELPHIA (SNN-TV) – Bryce Harper claimed his second Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday, edging out Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and several others in what seemingly became a wide open race in the National League.
Harper captured 17 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Soto and Tatis finished second and third, respectively, in the vote tally, which also adds points for second and third-place finishes. San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford received four first-place votes and Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner got one.
A month removed from his 29th birthday, Harper becomes the fourth player since 2000 to win multiple MVPs before turning 30, joining Mike Trout (3), Albert Pujols (3) and Alex Rodriguez (2).
Harper, a unanimous MVP while playing for the Washington Nationals in 2015, kept a flawed Philadelphia Phillies team in the hunt for the postseason right up until the very end in 2021. He ultimately led the NL in slugging percentage (.615) and park-adjusted OPS (179) while accumulating a 6.6 WAR, tied with Soto for second in the NL behind Turner.
