Bryce Harper Is The New King… Of Jersey Sales
For the last two MLB seasons, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has had the league's best selling jersey. With the 2019 under way, new jersey sales numbers have been released and Judge has been de-wigged by Bryce Harper. The new Phillies superstar's rise to the top isn't surprising after he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract in the offseason.
In Philadelphia, Harper will wear the number three, and so will just about every fan in the stands. MLB.com claims that his jersey has been on the top of sales chart since January 1st, despite him not having a team to call home until mid March.
Fanatics, another sports retailer, reported that Harper's new Philly jersey set 24 and 48 hour sales records. It's safe to say his addition to the storied East Coast franchise has been embraced by fans hungry for their first World Series title in over a decade.
For comparison's sake, the other big signing of the offseason, Manny Machado, didn't even crack the top ten in sales. The new San Diego Padre saw his shiny new Southern California jersey debut at number 12. Both players will change the trajectories of their franchises, but only Harper carries the weight of extreme fan expectations on his shoulders, as his jersey sales prove.
