These two Phillies stars go way back

This story was excerpted from the Phillies Beat newsletter. Paul Casella is filling in for Todd Zolecki in April. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA -- While many fans have enjoyed watching Bryson Stott progression from last year to this year, one particular Phillies teammate has had a front-row seat to his development over the past two decades.

Bryce Harper and Stott are not only tied together as Phillies teammates and Las Vegas natives, but their families have been connected for as long as Stott can remember.

"I was like 4, maybe?" Stott said about the first time he met Harper. "Maybe younger."

Having known Stott for more than 20 years, Harper may be less surprised than anyone to see the 25-year-old second-year big leaguer off to such a hot start. Stott set a franchise record by beginning the year on a 17-game hitting streak and he entered Wednesday slashing .337/.362/.465 with two homers and three stolen bases.

“He’s always been the same guy; he just really loves the game of baseball," Harper said. "He’s always trying to get better, always trying to work hard -- and on the field or off the field, he’s just a great person. He works his butt off, so for him to be able to have the first month that he’s been having, it’s been great to see."

Harper's sister was a cheerleader on a team coached by Stott's mom, Shana, in high school. As Bryson got older, he formed a relationship of his own with Harper -- and three months after the Phils signed Harper to a 13-year deal, they drafted Stott in the first round of the 2019 Draft.

"It was actually weird at first, because growing up in Vegas and playing baseball, everyone had the eye black all over their face and wanted to be Bryce, you know?" Stott said. "And like, he’s just a guy in the clubhouse now.”

All those friends back in Vegas are thrilled that Stott and Harper ended up on the same team -- “They love it because they only have to watch one game,” Stott joked -- but one piece of advice from Harper has always stuck with Stott.

“He always told me just to have fun," Stott said on the night he was drafted in 2019.

Given Stott’s role as the ringleader behind the nightly postgame interview shenanigans and his constant joking around with teammates during batting practice, it’s safe to say Stott is still taking that to heart.

That mentality certainly contributed to Stott’s rapid ascension through Philadelphia’s Minor League system. Being able to pick Harper’s brain at every turn didn’t hurt either.

“It’s huge,” manager Rob Thomson said of Stott having Harper in his corner. “It gets you to relax, especially the magnitude of that guy -- he’s got a lot of knowledge. It just makes you feel comfortable when you’ve got a friend around. It certainly helps.”

With Harper always having been there for Stott, Stott has tried to flip the script a bit in recent weeks. He’s been there to support Harper every step of the way in his rehab from Tommy John surgery -- and he can usually be found just a few feet away while Harper does his work to learn first base.

“Just kind of being out there for him," said Stott, who has settled in at second base after the team signed shortstop Trea Turner this offseason.

Off the field, the two share a passion for their hometown Vegas Golden Knights, whose first round series in the NHL playoffs they’ve been following as best they can. Harper and Stott -- along with their wife and girlfriend, respectively -- also get together to watch Ohio State college football on fall Saturdays, when the baseball schedule permits. (They happily missed out on a few games during last year's postseason run.)

Now, if all goes according to plan, Stott and Harper will not only share a hometown, favorite sports teams and a Major League clubhouse -- but they could share the right side of the Phillies' infield down the stretch.

“Wow, I hadn't actually thought about that," Stott said. "That’d be really cool."

“Yeah, it’d be cool," Harper agreed. "I want to be the best I can for all those guys on the infield.”

Harper is obviously eager to return to playing alongside Stott as quickly as possible, but the duo also figures to have plenty of time together. Stott is under team control through 2028, while Harper is signed through ’31.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Harper said. “You don’t always get to play with one of your best friends; that usually doesn’t happen. But he’s one of my best friends, so to be able to play with him and be around him, it’s been a lot of fun. I look forward to doing that for a lot of years to come in Philadelphia.”