Bryce Harper could potentially face off against his old friend Hunter Strickland as the Phillies open up a 3-game series tonight in Anaheim

Fresh of a sweep in San Diego, the Philadelphia Phillies will open up a three game series tonight in Anaheim against Mike Trout and the Angels. It could also reignite a potential matchup between Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland.

Recap: During the 2017 season, Hunter Strickland hit Bryce Harper with a pitch. Harper charged the mound, threw his helmet, and landed a few punches as benches cleared between the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals.

According to reports at the time, the incident stemmed from two home runs Harper hit off Strickland in the 2014 playoffs, when the Giants went on to capture their third World Series title in five years.

The two have since denied that was reason for the brawl – but given their history, it makes sense that people pointed to that moment given the brawl that followed three years later.

Hunter Strickland isn’t a name that the Major League Baseball has heard from very often over the past 3-4 seasons. Strickland posted a 2.61 ERA in 57 appearances with three MLB teams in 2021 which was obviously considered a “career year” for the reliever.

From there, he fell off the face of the earth. In 2022, he was so bad with the Cincinnati Reds that he was optioned to Triple A Louisville before being outright released – failing to appear in a big league game all season. 

Strickland had been in the hunt for a spot in the Los Angeles Angels’ Opening Day bullpen while attending spring training as a non-roster invitee. He didn’t make it and was optioned to Triple A Salt Lake before the start of the 2024 season. 

Now back on the major league roster, Strickland holds a 3.38 ERA over nine appearances (10.2 IP) with a 0.94 WHIP. 

During the postseason, Bryce Harper went 2-for-2 against Strickland with 2 home runs and 2 RBI. During the regular season, Bryce Harper is 1-2 with a home run against Strickland, which came in 2019 in a Phillies uniform. 

Bryce Harper Home Run off Hunter Strickland

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