There’s a Solid Chance Bryce Harper’s Clutch Two-Run NLCS Blast Was with a Bat Made in King of Prussia

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baseball at-bat
Image via MLB at YouTube.
Is that a King-of-Prussia made bat in Harper's hands for the NLSC game-winning homer? Most likely yes.

Given sports figures’ highly superstitious natures, there’s an excellent chance that the bat Bryce Harper used in his bottom-of-the-eighth game winning Oct. 23 home run — the one sending the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series for the first time since 2009 — was made in King of Prussia.

According to KYW Newsradio report from Jay Scott Smith, Harper’s good luck charm is a bat crafted by Victus Sports of King of Prussia.

Its founders are Jared Smith and Ryan Engroff; Smith’s steel mill career gave way to a self-taught skill at crafting bats.

Victus Sports now churns out 70,000 hand-crafted models per year.

An MLB early brand adopter was Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles outfielder.

But when Harper picked one up in a round of batting practice for the 2018 MLB Home Run Deby, he ended up winning with it.

“He’s swinging us 75 percent of the time,” Smith said. “Every at-bat in the playoffs has been with Victus.”

If his last swing in the regular season was with his batter’s-box bestie — and although unconfirmed, there’s no reason to believe it wasn’t — the locally produced club helped Harper’s soar the ball into the stands of left-center field of Citizens Bank Park.

The home run yielded two runs, bringing the final score to 4–3 and ending the 2022 National League Championship Series in five games.

The victorious Phillies are World Series–bound.

CBS announcer Joe Davis called Harper’s resultant homer, “the swing of his life.”

Victus’ equipment not only performs well, it’s also stylishly painted. Designs include images of famous characters like Uncle Sam, the Phillie Phanatic, and Gritty.

Smith says the goal of Victus is to help change the image of American’s pastime, giving it a bit more edge and style.

To swing further into the original Victus story, see the coverage by KYW Newsradio.

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ICYMI … or just want to savor its sweetness again.

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