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Bryce Harper will play for Team USA for the first time since 2009 in the World Baseball Classic and is “really looking forward” to the opportunity.
But before the two-time MVP discussed the WBC during a recent appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys,” Harper and the hosts, former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, discussed recent comments from some U.S. Olympians about how they’ve felt indifferent to representing the Stars and Stripes on a grand scale.
“That’s crazy,” Harper said simply.
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Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies bats in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 14, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman said that no matter what your political position, it is always the greatest honor to represent the United States.
“Obviously, there are things going on in the country that, you know, aren’t good or that people don’t believe in or whatever, right? Politics aside, to me, when you go and represent your country, you’re representing your country, man. Block out all that. It’s sports.
“We want to put something on TV that’s happy and good and great for everyone to see, right? So representing your country, there’s nothing better than representing your country. There’s really nothing at all.”
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Citizens Bank Park on June 5, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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Free skier Hunter Hess said he had “mixed emotions” representing the United States in Milan, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she wanted to represent her own “values” and that it was “difficult to reconcile” violence in the United States while “competing for medals in an Olympic event.”
In an interview with Pak Gazette Digital months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, Noah Lyles said representing the United States was “bittersweet” and came with a “heavy heart,” and said Black people in the United States have “a lot to deal with.”
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates his two-run home run during the first inning of Game 3 of the World Series of baseball between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Harper was going to play in the 2023 WBC but was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. This year, he joins a loaded roster alongside Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Cal Raleigh.
