"The things they did do in the past is gonna taint what they did" - When Bryce Harper dropped his verdict on the Astros' 2017 cheating scandal

Philadelphia Phillies superstar and one of the most impactful players in MLB, Bryce Harper, once used some honest words to define the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017.

Harper didn't have to face Houston in 2017 as his team at the time, the Washington Nationals, were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.

In an interview on the “94WIP” morning radio show in 2020, Harper raised concerns about the incident. He even challenged the Astros that year to prove they were “one of the best teams” by giving a 100-win performance like the 2017 team.

“Being able to watch a Houston team that you believed was one of the best teams in the world, that run that they had gone on. You're gonna see this year if they're the truth - if they're really gonna go out there and do what they do," Harper said.

"And if they do, then nobody can really say anything. I think they do have really good players but the things they did do in the past is gonna taint what they did."

The Astros did perform in 2020, maybe not as good as the 2017 team, but they managed to get 29 wins during the COVID-shortened season and advanced to the ALCS.

Bryce Harper's comments on the Astros’ scandal

In a 2020 interview with MLB.com, Bryce Harper stated his compassion for the players who became the victims of the Astros’ cheating scandal.

“You never want to see it. It’s very tough to see that,” Harper said

“It’s very tough to see that. But I think for me, it’s more the guys coming up for the first time and they’re in the back end of the bullpen and they know it and they get hit or shelled and they’re never coming to the big leagues again because a team had their signs and everything like that. It’s those guys that I feel bad for."

Harper also pointed out the suffering the New York Yankees and players like Aaron Judge had to go through because of their loss in the ALCS against the Houston Astros in 2017.

“Guys like Aaron Judge going through in 2017 and absolutely killing it that year and gets beat out [for the American League Most Valuable Player Award] by a great player in [José] Altuve. It’s just guys like that who really miss out on things… Those are the guys I feel for,” he added.

A World Series ring is the only piece missing in Harper’s list of achievements. In 2022, the Phillies came up just short against the Astros in the Fall Classic. The next time these two teams meet in the postseason, Bryce Harper will be a man on a mission.