Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, who recently led his team to an NL East title and aims for a World Series win, has already begun thinking about life after his playing career. In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, Harper revealed two paths he envisions for himself once he retires from professional baseball.
This season, Harper has been a key contributor for the Phillies, boasting a .287 batting average with 30 home runs and 87 RBIs in 541 plate appearances. Despite his continued success, Harper has considered how he will stay connected to the game he loves once his playing days are over.
One of Harper’s dreams is to become a college baseball coach. “I talk to Scott [Boras, his agent] a lot, and I tell him, ‘I want to coach after I’m done, but I want to go to college.’ That’s my dream,” Harper said. He shared that while his agent teases him about the idea, given his likely Hall of Fame status, coaching at the college level is something he feels passionate about. “I just want to put the [playing] version of myself behind me and put my coach’s cap on. I would never want to do it at the Major League level.”
In addition to coaching, Harper also sees potential in taking on a different role in Major League Baseball: ownership. He expressed interest in possibly owning or running a team, drawing inspiration from figures like Derek Jeter. “I could be an owner on the Major League level. I would love to do that. I’d rather own and do that… I’d like to be [like Derek] Jeter [was with the Miami Marlins].”
While Harper dreams of both coaching college baseball and becoming a major league team owner, he emphasized his excitement about working with younger players in a college environment, where he believes he could make a positive impact. He also mentioned concerns about the honesty of college recruiting processes, stating, “Kids get lied to so much at the college level nowadays.”
Though Harper turns 32 in mid-October and still has years left in his playing career, it’s clear he plans to remain deeply involved in baseball, whether as a coach or an owner, after he retires from the game.