Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper reached an MLB milestone in the last few hours.
No, for the first time in a while it doesn’t have to do with anything specific he did on the field.
It is, however, proof of his incredible contributions that have kept him on the MLB radar for so long: he just reached the 10-year service time threshold in the league.
He did it at 29 years old, which is unbelievable.
We have explained many times what it means to reach 10 years of service time in the league.
First of all, these players have something incredibly cool to tell their children and grandchildren: they were major leaguers for 10 years!
They managed to be good and consistent enough to be on an MLB roster for that long.
And secondly, there are financial implications from reaching that point.
MLB’s pension pays fully vested members a minimum of nearly $68,000 per year if they start drawing at 45, with a scale that can go up to as much as $220,000 for beneficiaries who wait until age 62.
Ballplayers Usually Embrace MLB’s Pension Plan
The average lifespan of a professional athlete is brief, so earning the right to collect that kind of money in their golden years is something that appeals to low-salary players and those with big, nine-number contracts as well.
In the specific case of Harper, he is fresh off winning an MVP and should remain a top MLB player for a long, long time.
“@bryceharper3 added to his illustrious resume in 2021 when he became the 15th player in MLB history to win multiple MVP awards before his age 29 season. He is a six-time NL All-Star and two-time winner of the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron awards,” the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) tweeted.
.@bryceharper3 added to his illustrious resume in 2021 when he became the 15th player in MLB history to win multiple MVP awards before his age 29 season. He is a six-time NL All-Star and two-time winner of the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron awards. pic.twitter.com/cH0RUYHD6J
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) May 2, 2022
Congratulations to Harper on an impressive achievement.
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