Bryce Harper's Pat McAfee Show cameo after NLCS berth will crush Yankees fans

Hey Yankees fans! How's it going? We were wondering ... did you need another reason to punch a wall? To rip a head off a stuffed animal? To throw at object at a nearby lamp? If you've been craving to release some rage, then look no further than Bryce Harper's appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

On Thursday night, Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies clinched their second straight NLCS berth by defeating the division-rival Atlanta Braves for the second straight year in the NLDS. They beat one of their chief rivals in back-to-back seasons. The Yankees haven't done that since ... pre-2004?

Though Harper and the Phillies only began seeing playoff success last year ever since he joined prior to the 2019 season, the turnaround has been systematic and inspirational. Even during the playoff-less campaigns, Harper remained a force with three incredible seasons, including an MVP-winning 2021.

But now the world has really gotten to see the star slugger in action, as he's delivered clutch hit after clutch hit for the Phils over the last two years (with the exception of the 2022 World Series, when it was clear the team ran out of gas).

Ever since Harper appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 16 years old, New York fans felt he was destined to be a Yankee. They just had to wait for his club control years with the Nationals to expire.

But that came and went. The Yankees reportedly didn't even contact Harper as they slashed payroll after the 2018 season. They didn't even contact him despite the fact he expressed a desire to play for the Yankees and even switch positions so they could accommodate his presence. They didn't even contact him even though it was the best long-term investment they could make (he was only entering his age-26 season, which is a rarity).

Yankees fans have been vocal about that massive oversight, but they're reminded about it every day. And it just gets more and more disheartening.

Bryce Harper's Pat McAfee Show appearance after NLCS berth will crush Yankees fans

One of McAfee's Yankees fan producers asked Harper about that "piece of sh--" Brian Cashman not even reaching out to him in free agency and all Harper could do was laugh. Laugh! He then reminded us about how big a Yankees fan he was and how he idolized Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and other members of the dynasty.

The cherry on top? Even with the fandom factored in, he said he "couldn't imagine not being a Philadelphia Phillie." How about that? The city that only recently started embracing baseball again (they ranked in the bottom half of the league for attendance from 2014-2018!) has enraptured Harper, the player.

We're just sitting here wondering what kind of impression the Bronx would've made on him. Hmmm. The Yankees are top-three in attendance every year and famously have one of the most rabid supporters in the entire sport. Again, no offense to Philly because their passion runs deep, but they're Yankees Lite compared to how consistently dedicated Yankees fans have been.

And what do you know ... Harper really embraces "the vibe," something Yankees fans insist has been missing from this lifeless team from 2020-2023. Cashman's gotten rid of every energetic personality, one by one, and composed a roster of robots devoid of emotion, which frequently leads to no answers, uninspiring interviews, poor body language, and losses upon losses.

Dave Dombrowski has assembled a veritable talented "vibe" crew around Harper, something Cashman can't really say about his work to support Aaron Judge. So much is wrong in New York. So much. And knowing this is what Harper would've brought to the Yankees is crushing, no matter how many times we're reminded. We'll never be numb to it.