History of Bryce Harper in Timeline

Bryce Harper is a professional baseball outfielder and first baseman currently playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in MLB. Prior to joining the Phillies, he played for the Washington Nationals.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1900: Statistics

Since 1900, baseball OPS+ has been measured.

1964: First Teenager to Steal Home Plate

In 1964, it was the last time a teenager stole home plate.

1969: Joe Lahoud Feat

In 1969, Joe Lahoud hit 3 home runs in a single game as the youngest player to accomplish this feat.

1984: Dwight Gooden's All-Star Game Appearance

In 1984, Dwight Gooden played in the All-Star Game at 19 years, 237 days old, making him younger than Harper when he played in the 2012 All-Star Game.

October 16, 1992: Bryce Harper's Birth

On October 16, 1992, Bryce Aron Max Harper was born. He is now an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Adrián Beltré's Home Run

In 1998, Adrián Beltré was the last teenager to hit a home run in the major leagues before Harper.

2006: Fernando Martínez in AFL

In 2006, Fernando Martínez appeared in the Arizona Fall League.

2008: Plays for United States U-18 Baseball Team

In 2008, Bryce Harper played for the United States U-18 baseball team before being drafted by the Nationals.

May 2009: Sports Illustrated Cover

In May 2009, Bryce Harper was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was compared to LeBron James.

October 2009: Earned GED

In October 2009, Harper dropped out of high school and earned his GED, reclassifying for the MLB draft.

2009: Represents United States at Pan American U-18 Baseball Championship

In 2009, Bryce Harper represented the United States at the Pan American U-18 Baseball Championship held in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where his team won a gold medal.

2009: Phillies Pennant

In 2009, the Phillies won their first pennant since 2009. Bryce Harper helped the Phillies get to their first post season appearance in 11 years.

June 2010: MLB Draft Eligibility

In June 2010, Harper became eligible for the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.

August 26, 2010: Nationals Introduction

On August 26, 2010, Bryce Harper was introduced by the Washington Nationals and announced he would wear No. 34 in honor of Mickey Mantle.

2010: AFL Championship

In 2010, Bryce Harper and the Scottsdale Scorpions won the Arizona Fall League (AFL) Championship.

2010: College Season at Southern Nevada

In 2010, Bryce Harper enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada, where he played catcher, broke the school's home run record with 31 home runs, and was named SWAC Player of the Year.

2010: Golden Spikes Award and MLB Draft

In 2010, Bryce Harper won the Golden Spikes Award and was selected as the first overall pick in the MLB draft by the Nationals.

2010: NJCAA World Series Finals

In 2010, During the Western district finals of the NJCAA World Series, Harper went 6-for-7 with five RBIs and hit for the cycle. The next day, in a doubleheader, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run double in the first game. In the second game, he went 6-for-6 with four home runs, a triple, and a double.

2010: Ejection and Golden Spikes Award

In 2010, Harper was ejected from a National Junior College World Series game, resulting in a two-game suspension, and later won the Golden Spikes Award.

2010: Drafted as Outfielder

In 2010, the Washington Nationals drafted Bryce Harper as an outfielder, despite his prior role as a catcher.

April 2011: Contact Lenses

In April 2011, Bryce Harper visited an optometrist and received contact lenses, improving his hitting performance.

2011: All-Star Futures Game and Hamstring Injury

In 2011, Harper was selected for the All-Star Futures Game and promoted to Double-A. On August 18, 2011, he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.

April 27, 2012: Major League Promotion

On April 27, 2012, Bryce Harper was promoted to the major leagues by the Nationals after Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the disabled list.

April 28, 2012: MLB Debut

On April 28, 2012, Bryce Harper made his Major League Baseball debut with the Washington Nationals at 19 years old.

2012: Triple-A Season Start

Bryce Harper began the 2012 season with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League.

2012: First Postseason Home Run

In 2012, Bryce Harper hit his first postseason home run in Game 5 of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Nationals lost the game.

2012: Rookie of the Year Award

In 2012, Harper won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

2013: Opening Day Home Runs and All-Star Selection

In 2013, Harper hit two home runs on Opening Day and was voted a starter for the MLB All-Star Game.

2013: Home Run Derby Participation and Knee Surgery

In 2013, Harper participated in the Home Run Derby, made it to the final round, and underwent left knee surgery during the off-season.

April 25, 2014: Thumb Injury

On April 25, 2014, Harper suffered a left thumb injury during a game against the San Diego Padres and required surgery.

2014: Engagement to Kayla Varner

In 2014, Bryce Harper became engaged to Kayla Varner.

2014: Japan All-Star Series Withdrawal

In 2014, Harper planned to participate in the MLB Japan All-Star Series but later withdrew.

January 2015: Wedding Postponed

In January 2015, Bryce Harper's wedding to Kayla Varner, which had been planned, did not take place.

April 18, 2015: Longest Home Run

On April 18, 2015, Harper hit the longest home run of his MLB career, a 461-foot drive.

May 6, 2015: Three Home Runs in a Game

On May 6, 2015, Harper hit three home runs in a single game against the Miami Marlins.

2015: Featured in ESPN's The Magazine Body Issue

In 2015, Bryce Harper was featured in a nonrevealing naked format in ESPN's The Magazine Body Issue.

2015: NL MVP Award and Home Run Lead

In 2015, Bryce Harper was named the NL Most Valuable Player and tied for the NL lead in home runs.

2015: MVP and Hank Aaron Award

In 2015, Harper received the National League Most Valuable Player Award, the Hank Aaron Award, and was named Baseball America's player of the year and ESPN's MLB Person of the Year.

2015: Top-5 Hitting Season

In 2015, Harper's OPS+ was a top-5 hitting season for players under 23. He led the majors in WAR and tied for the NL home run title with 42.

April 14, 2016: First Career Grand Slam

On April 14, 2016, Bryce Harper hit his first career grand slam, which was also his 100th career home run, in a game against the Atlanta Braves.

July 2016: Reconciliation and Re-engagement

In July 2016, Kayla Varner announced that she and Bryce Harper had reconciled and were re-engaged.

December 2016: Marriage at San Diego California Temple

In December 2016, Bryce Harper and Kayla Varner were married at the San Diego California Temple.

2016: Appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

In 2016, Bryce Harper appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and played Catch Phrase with Fallon, Andy Samberg, and Gigi Hadid.

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2016: Discusses Faith

In 2016, Bryce Harper, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stated that he felt his role was to be a 'walking Book of Mormon' by living his faith both on and off the field.

2018: Supports Vegas Golden Knights

In 2018, Bryce Harper showed his support for the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL during their inaugural season and Stanley Cup Finals run by dropping the puck before a game and putting their logo on his bat.

2018: Bryce Harper Field Named

In 2018, a baseball field in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, D.C. was renovated and named Bryce Harper Field through the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation and the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation.

2018: Phillies Contract

In 2018, during the offseason, Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

March 2, 2019: Signed with the Philadelphia Phillies

On March 2, 2019, Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, setting a record for the largest MLB contract at the time. He chose to wear No. 3 and inadvertently mentioned bringing a title back to D.C.

March 30, 2019: First Hit as a Phillie

On March 30, 2019, Bryce Harper had his first hit as a member of the Phillies, which was a 465-foot home run against the Atlanta Braves.

August 15, 2019: Walk-off Grand Slam

On August 15, 2019, Bryce Harper hit a walk-off grand slam against the Chicago Cubs.

August 22, 2019: Birth of First Child

On August 22, 2019, Bryce Harper and his wife Kayla Varner welcomed their first child, a son, in Las Vegas.

September 3, 2019: 100th RBI of the Season

On September 3, 2019, Bryce Harper batted in his 100th RBI of the season, marking his second consecutive year with at least 100 RBIs and being the first Phillies player since Ryan Howard in 2011 to achieve this.

2019: Appears on The Tonight Show and Featured in MLB The Show 19

In 2019, Bryce Harper made a second appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to play MLB The Show 19, the video game where he was the cover athlete.

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March 2020: MLB Season Suspended

In March 2020, the MLB season was suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 2020: Birth of Second Child

In November 2020, Bryce Harper and his wife Kayla Varner welcomed their second child, a daughter.

2021: Second NL MVP Award

In 2021, Harper won his second NL MVP award with the Phillies.

August 12, 2022: Announces Participation in World Baseball Classic

On August 12, 2022, Bryce Harper announced his intention to join the United States national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic alongside fellow Phillies J. T. Realmuto and Trea Turner.

October 23, 2022: NLCS Game 5 Go-Ahead Home Run and MVP

On October 23, 2022, during Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, Bryce Harper hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending the Phillies to the 2022 World Series. He was voted 2022 NLCS MVP.

November 23, 2022: Tommy John Surgery

On November 23, 2022, Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery for his ligament tear, with an expected return as the Phillies' designated hitter around the All-Star break.

2023: Relocates to Knoxville, Tennessee

In 2023, Bryce Harper relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee during the offseason.

2023: Unable to play in World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Harper was unable to participate in the World Baseball Classic due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

2023: Baseball returns to Olympics

In 2023, it was announced that baseball would return as a competition sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, prompting Harper's hope to participate.

April 2024: Birth of Third Child

In April 2024, Bryce Harper and his wife Kayla Varner welcomed their third child, a daughter.

July 13, 2024: Homering Against Every MLB Team

On July 13, 2024, Bryce Harper achieved a career milestone by hitting a home run against the Oakland Athletics, making them the last team against whom he had not homered in MLB.

2024: Relocates to Knoxville, Tennessee

Bryce Harper relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee during the 2023/2024 offseason.

April 2025: Announces Fourth Pregnancy

In April 2025, Bryce Harper announced that he and his wife Kayla Varner were expecting their fourth child by debuting a blue-colored bat handed to him by Trea Turner, revealing that the baby would be a boy.

May 16, 2025: Reaches 1,000th RBI

On May 16, 2025, Bryce Harper recorded his 1,000th RBI during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, contributing to an 8–4 Phillies victory. He also became the 14th player in MLB history to achieve 1,000 RBIs, 1,000 runs, and 1,000 walks before turning 33.

October 2, 2025: Birth of Fourth Child

On October 2, 2025, Bryce Harper and his wife Kayla Varner welcomed their fourth child, a son.

2028: Hopes to play in 2028 Summer Olympics

In 2028, Bryce Harper hopes that MLB players will be allowed to participate in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where baseball will return as a competition sport.