The Philadelphia Phillies seemed happy with another commendable win on Saturday night as they defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-1. They are now 10 games above a .500 record and in the queue for a postseason run through a Wild Card. And a veteran star took it beyond the playoffs, weighing in on a potential championship win. Alex Rodriguez thinks they are strong contenders to spoil the Los Angeles Dodgers’ three-peat plan. But he didn’t stop there. 

“I would not be surprised if this team is in the mix to win a World Championship in the second half and Bryce Harper can challenge for another MVP,” A-Rod said, in an interview with Fox Sports. 

Rodriguez argued that the Phillies had a concerning start this season before a change in leadership took place. The team had a 9-19 record when Rob Thomson was fired. However, ever since Don Mattingly took over, the Phillies have done considerably better. They are 2nd in the NL East with a 50-39 record and 1.5 games ahead in the Wild Card race. 

The Hall of Famer and 3x American League MVP also praised Bryce Harper for turning it around. He mentioned how the Phillies owner, Dave Dombrowski, challenged Harper after the 2025 season, wondering if he could “become elite again”. It’s not like the 33-year-old star was ineffective last year. But he took the bait anyway and is batting at .274 with a .903 OPS. He has managed 57 RBIs with 20 home runs so far.

And Rodriguez believes Harper is on his way to upsetting Shohei Ohtani. 

It’s worth noting Ohtani, as a two-way player, has a .289 batting AVG and .930 OPS. On top of that has an 1.89 ERA with 95 strikeouts from 14 starts. That’s why broadcaster Al Michaels took a slight dig at A-Rod, saying, “Wow. All right, going out on a limb a little bit.”

But Ohtani or the Dodgers being good doesn’t mean that Bryce Harper and the Phillies can’t be any better. Besides, there is still the entire second half  of the season that can go either way. And Alex Rodriguez claims that Philadelphia has the potential to upset the reigning champions. They did a fine job recovering from a 10-game slide. And he thinks Harper’s turnaround deserves bigger awards.

Harper’s MVP climb still runs through Ohtani

MLB surveyed the top MVP contenders this year and published the results last Sunday. It showed Shohei Ohtani leading the NL with 30 out of 33 1st-Place votes. Excluding the last few games, the superstar has been almost unplayable as a starter. He has 8 wins and 3.7 K/BB this season. 

Now, combine that with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. Despite some recent struggles, like hamstring discomfort a few weeks ago and bicep tightness last week, Ohtani has recorded elite numbers. The batting stats alone might be almost on par with Bryce Harper. But as a two-way player, Ohtani poses a significant threat to the Phillies’ first baseman in the MVP race. 

On the other hand, Harper’s teammate Kyle Schwarber ranks above with a .943 OPS and 30 HRs. 

The Dodgers have lost only 6 series so far. They are leading the National League with a 59-31 record. They are leading MLB in several categories in both hitting and pitching. And after winning the World Series the last two years, they are clear favorites this season.

But Alex Rodriguez isn’t denying the Dodgers’ potential. He is simply showing faith in the Phillies. And the way Harper has improved his numbers, he is genuinely hoping for him to add a 3rd MVP to his name.