Phillies OF discusses witnessing Bryce Harper's stardom when they were both preteens

Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper.

After a combined 18 MLB seasons, first baseman Bryce Harper and outfielder David Dahl became teammates for the first time in 2024 when the latter signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in February.

Dahl was called up to the big-league club in early June, and during a Wednesday appearance on MLB Network, he described a particularly epic display of power he witnessed from Harper when the pair were preteens.

"To watch Bryce play, it's truly special. He's one of a kind," Dahl said. "I actually have a funny story. He was 12, I was 11 and his team was playing in Huntsville, Alabama, and he went 12-for-12 with 11 home runs. I remember telling my dad, 'Hey, I need to get in the weight room. This guy's really good.' So, it was actually pretty cool to see."

In a June 2009 Sports Illustrated feature dubbing him as "Baseball's LeBron," Tom Verducci wrote about the legendary performance by Harper from a few years prior. Verducci interviewed Harper's mother, Sheri, among others, for the piece.

"It was after one of those player-for-hire trips that Sheri began to understand that her son was really special. Bryce, then 12, was playing in a tournament in Alabama on a field with 250-foot fences. It was a trip Sheri could not attend. When Bryce phoned home, Sheri asked him how he'd done. 'I did all right,' he replied," Verducci wrote. "Later, one of the coaches called Sheri. 'Did he say anything to you?' the coach asked. 'No, not really,' Sheri said. 'He went 12-for-12. Eleven home runs and a double.' 'That,' Sheri says, 'is when I knew.'"

The Las Vegas native was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals during the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft and made it to the show less than two years later on April 28, 2012. Since then, Harper has compiled a list of credentials for future enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 31-year-old was the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year and earned the first of seven All-Star honors. Harper has added three Silver Slugger Awards, two NL MVPs, an NLCS MVP and a Home Run Derby crown.

Seemingly, all that's left for Harper to accomplish is win a World Series.

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