Phillies face new level of Opening Day pressure with Bryce Harper on board

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Philadelphia Phillies will enter the 2019 season as strong contenders in the National League with Bryce Harper on board.

Ever since the Philadelphia Phillies reached an agreement with Bryce Harper after months of waiting, fans have been trying to hold back their excitement for Opening Day just to see how this team does when it comes to living up to the hype.

Even before Harper officially became part of the picture, the Phillies were considered a potential sleeper team in the National League when it came to finally making the leap to serious playoff contender.

Of course, with harper on board, the expectations surrounding Philadelphia have hit new levels, as many believe this team has what it takes to make a serious run at the World Series, although that’s always easier said than done.

While the Phillies would seem like the easy favorites to finish on top of the NL East, the Atlanta Braves, who the team will see on Thursday for Opening Day, will be right up there with them after emerging as the division winners last year.

Talent wise, the Braves are similar to the Phillies in which they seem built to be strong contenders in the National League for years to come, and unlike Philadelphia, Atlanta doesn’t have to worry about putting an end to their playoff drought in 2019 thanks to last season.

Believe it or not, 2011 was the last time in which the Phillies earned a trip to the playoffs, and after failing to record a single winning season in each of the last seven years, the pressure is on for 2019.

For obvious reasons, anything short of the playoffs for Philadelphia in 2019 would have been considered a huge disappointment after looking at all of the key moves made by the team this offseason, but the pressure is on even more with Harper.

There were numerous reasons behind Philadelphia’s interest in wanting Harper to join Gabe Kapler‘s squad, but the fact that his presence makes the Phillies instant World Series contenders ranks near the top of the list.

Baseball is always a long season since plenty can happen from now until October, but here’s to hoping Harper and the Phillies get off to a hot start on Thursday by taking down the Braves to help eliminate some of that early pressure of making sure they live up to the expectations.

If not, well at least the Phillies will have 161 other games to show they are in fact the real deal, and deserve to be considered a top contender during the 2019 season, even with the talent they possess beyond Harper.