NL WILD CARD SERIES: MARLINS VS PHILLIES

October 3, 2023

Bryce Harper

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Harper, we know that this team is kind of hungry for last year. I just basically want to ask you what difference do you see from this year to last one?

BRYCE HARPER: Last year was great. I think having a new team and a new story, we got multiple guys that have been here and have played in the postseason. If you look at Trea or Schwarber or J.T., everybody is going to pull and vibe off of each other. I think that next man up mentality, I think we do a great job of that.

Just being able to rewrite the story, right? Not dwelling on last year. I think that was the big thing in Spring Training, understand it's a new team, new story, new vibe, whatever we can do to get back here. We've played some really good baseball, and we're excited to bring Red October back and get this thing going again.

Q. See you wearing the Trea Turner shirt, and he was saying how, in years past, you would joke with him on the base pads, let's get you to Philly. We want you. How special is it, he comes here, and you guys are now in the postseason here in Philadelphia together?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, any type of player that I play with, or opposing team or anything like that, kind of if I like the way you play or anything like that, I'm going to try to get you to play here. It's a great place to play. It's fun. I've always said it, we've got the best fans in baseball. It's an amazing place to play.

And Trea made that decision to come here. He's part of that group. He's played great baseball for us, and it's going to be a lot of fun to see him on our side in the postseason and get this thing going. I know as a team we're just excited to get it going and have some fun.

Q. Bryce, you obviously experienced the postseason here last year, but you were stuck DH'ing. Are you excited to be out there on first base and take it in from a different point of view this year and be on the field all nine innings hopefully?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah. Any time you just can get in there and play. I was very happy to get back there this year and getting back out onto the field. I wasn't sure this year if it was going to happen, and doing it first base is a little bit different.

Very excited to be out there and be a part of it. See the fans from a different perspective as well, instead of just from the dugout, but on the field. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm just excited to be here.

Q. Bryce, given that you did come back from surgery so quickly, the quickest, I guess, from that kind of surgery, did you have tempered expectations? It took you -- you had that home run drought, and all of a sudden, after the All-Star Game, you're back to being your normal self. Did you have tempered expectations when you came back about how long it might take to get to that point, or you were just gung ho and thought you'd pick up where you left off?

BRYCE HARPER: Just not really sure. Any time you go through something like that, you're not sure how you're going to come back or what's going to happen. I was very fortunate to have the trainers that I have, and having the surgeon that I did, and ElAttrache, understanding he did a great job on my elbow. Understanding it's going to take a minute to not be able to work out in the off-season or hit, not have the Spring Training.

For me, it's knowing that I can be that type of player. If you struggle or not or if you're going through something, you can always get back from that. Just get back to basics and do those things. I think being able to finish the way I did and finish strong was really good. Just really happy with how my year and the regular season ended. Just trying to propel that into the postseason.

Q. Last year you guys were the team that got in in the last week and got on a roll, got all the way to the World Series. Knowing the kind of momentum that can be generated, how important is it for you guys to not let the Marlins get that feeling at all?

BRYCE HARPER: The Marlins are a really good team. They've played some great baseball. They have a really great pitching staff. Luzardo is really tough. He's a punchout guy. I think as a team, they have that vibe, right?

Also, we're still an underdog as well. We've got four or five teams in front of us right now. We're still a Wild Card team just like anybody else. Everybody restarts and starts over. The Marlins are a Wild Card team. We're a Wild Card team. They're a really good team, like I said. They've got a great pitching staff, really good bullpen.

They made some good additions late in the year for them to get to this point. It's one game at a time for us, just like last year going in and just playing our game and understanding that we're a really good team. Just got to play our game.

Q. Bryce, Wes Wilson was someone that hasn't had a lot of Big League experience, wasn't necessarily a lock to make this roster, but it seems like he's made a big impression in his short time here. Just what have you seen out of his at-bats and his time with the club?

BRYCE HARPER: He's a really good player, man. Being able to kind of have him come up here and do what he did and send him back down, and him being a 30-30 guy in the Minor Leagues, that's really tough to do. He did that all year and did a really good job.

I think he was probably in discussion to start tonight, if I had to guess. He's a great player, great person, really smart on the bases. I think he's going to bring some fire to that dugout. Being able to late in games possibly get in there and have a late pinch hit at-bat against a lefty or righty as well. I think he swings the bat really well against both, and he brings a different dynamic to this team, which is really good.

Q. Bryce, a lot of you guys experienced this last year, but for the guys that haven't, Wilson, Rojas, Pache, you've got a guy in the bullpen who's been here a week, do you have any conversation with them about what to expect or anything like that to help prepare them for this, or is this something they've got to experience for themselves?

BRYCE HARPER: You'll learn quick. It is what it is. You're either going to be ready for the moment or not. Just go out there and play their game. That's it. Nothing else. Nothing less. Nothing more.

I think you'll learn pretty quick what it's going to be like. I think we have a really good dynamic in our clubhouse as well, where we don't care where you're from, who you are, how old, what you're doing, or anything like that. You're here to help us win. You're part of our family. You're here. I couldn't care less if we had a kid that was 18 or 19 years old in our clubhouse. If he can help us win, I'm all about it. Or if it's a 45-year-old player, I don't care. As long as you're here to help us win, that's all we want.

Q. Bryce, how does your experience, coming up as an 18-year-old, help you mentor these young guys that come up at this time?

BRYCE HARPER: I think the biggest thing is just let them be themselves, that's it. Letting them know that we love on them and we want them to be the best players they can no matter what. We want them to be themselves and play with that passion, that fire they want to play with, but also understand that you've got to respect the game and play it the right way. Good or bad, play it the right way as well.

Just let them be themselves as much as possible.