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Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper has added a new title to his already stacked résumé: baseball card collector. The two-time National League MVP didn’t grow up chasing cardboard, but with a little push from teammate Matt Strahm, he’s now dipping into the hobby.
Strahm isn’t just a casual collector either. The Phillies pitcher runs his own YouTube channel where he rips packs, shows off memorabilia, and talks about his passion for collecting. Seeing an opportunity to get Harper started, he put out a call on X asking fans and collectors if they’d be willing to trade rare Harper cards for some of the slugger’s game-used gear — batting gloves, cleats, even bats.
At 32, Harper has already logged more than a decade in the Majors after debuting as a teenager. He admits he never cared much about souvenirs or collecting when he was younger, and in hindsight, he wishes he had saved more from his early days.
“I never collected cards growing up,” Harper said. “My dad had some, but I wasn’t into it. Honestly, I wish I kept more stuff when I first got to the big leagues. I tossed so much in the trash without thinking about it. My wife’s always telling me, ‘Save this, it’ll be cool for the kids one day.’”
While he isn’t big on chasing autographs or collecting other players’ signed gear, Harper says he’s now more interested in preserving things tied to his own career — the kind of keepsakes he can pass down.
This shift isn’t unusual. Many veterans reach a point where they start looking back instead of only forward, collecting pieces of the game that tell their story. For Harper, baseball cards are becoming part of that journey.
As the Phillies push toward another division crown, he’ll keep creating highlight moments that show up on new cardboard releases. And this time, he’ll be holding onto a few for himself.
