Ever since he was 16 years old, Bryce Harper has lived in baseball’s brightest spotlight. On the biggest stage of his career to date, Harper delivered his signature moment in Game 5 of the NLCS on Sunday.
The two-time MVP hammered a go-ahead, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Phillies ahead of the Padres and into the World Series for the franchise’s first National League pennant since 2009—the same year that Harper graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for the first time.
From his debut in SI to his first-ever World Series, Harper has long assumed a starring role in baseball’s never-ending saga. Here’s a look at Harper over the years, through the eyes (and words) of SI‘s Tom Verducci and other top writers.
