Brad Miller has now played parts of 2 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Overall, he’s performed well. In just about a full-seasons worth of at bats (449), Miller has hit 32 homers for the Phils. He’s slugged .494 and posted an OPS of .818.
In 2019,Brad Miller famously sparked the Phillies at their lowest by bringing bamboo plants into the clubhouse.
In a time where the Phillies struggled, Brad Miller brought a lighthearted attitude and gave his teammates something to channel their energy toward. Weirdly enough, it was a bunch of bamboo plants. Some legends don’t have a crazy success story. Some are like Brad Miller. Cut by the former Clevland Indians, stuck on the Yankees’ Triple-A squad, and scooped up by the Phillies.
He ended up being the only Phillie ever to have 3 multi-home run games in a month. Miller just happened to do it in 9 days.
So, not only was Miller a hype man for the 2019 Phillies but on Thursday we found out he was the hype man for a very valuable person.
Bryce Harper, NL MVP
Something about seeing Michael Jack Schmidt in a bedazzled jersey just felt right. It set the tone for the celebratory nature that followed. Bryce Harper had just been named NL MVP; the first since Jimmy Rollins in 2007 and 40 years after Schmidt won the same award, also for the 2nd time.
In a rare glimpse of emotion in baseball, Bryce Harper fought though joyful tears. He thanked Philly. He thanked his teammates. He thanked his personal chef (super relatable). Most of all, he shouted out one Brad Miller.
It spoke volumes about what Brad Miller means to the Phillies. In fact, it made it an absolute necessity for the Phillies to bring back “Bamboo Brad”.
Miller made $3.5 million with the Phillies in 2021. He got exposed down the stretch when he was conscripted into 1st base duties and only posted a 0.4 bWAR. Overall, he posted good power numbers and even had 3 multi-home run games for the Phils.
If the price is right, then he’s right for Bryce.
Harper didn’t win the MVP just by himself as many have stated. It’s the Brad Miller’s of the world that helped him on his path. Bring Brad Miller back. Give Harper the support he deserves.
If all goes well, hopefully playoffs will be back in sight soon.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)
