Bryce Harper drew two five-pitch walks Saturday in his first two spring training plate appearances since signing a record contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bryce Harper’s first AB as a @Phillies ends with a walk pic.twitter.com/MhZx6YPbgM
— J. Scott Butherus (@JScottButherus) March 9, 2019
Instant Analysis of Spring Training on @MLBNetworkRadio:
Bryce Harper's first plate appearance – Walk.@stevesaxspeaks likes it. pic.twitter.com/r55au6mQUZ
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) March 9, 2019
He also walked out to the Fresh Prince Theme.
He noted that he is still getting into form after missing the first part of spring training.
“It’s gonna take me some time to get ready and get into it,” Harper said. “When I’m walking, that’s when I’m at my best. So take those two at-bats and get ready for Monday.”
The Phillies face the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
Wearing No. 3, Harper earned a loud ovation from fans at Spectrum Field.
“That’s what it’s all about. It was good to see the fans show out today, support us, out there for us,” Harper said. “And just being around the guys and being in the dugout again and getting some dirt on my cleats — it was a lot of fun.”
The six-time All-Star outfielder signed a 13-year, $330 million contract last week, the largest deal in baseball history.
