Though Philadelphia Phillies fans certainly would have preferred to celebrate a different achievement this November — one that Austin Riley celebrated alongside his Atlanta Braves — they can at least root for Bryce Harper to put a Band Aid on the bullet wound that was the sting of the 2021 season.
That Band Aid would, of course, come in the form of a National League MVP award. Harper unsurprisingly cleared the first hurdle on Monday in being named a finalist, joined by Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres and Juan Soto of the divisional-rival Washington Nationals.