to me. I'm not talking about the perception of his talent, but the perception of his character. Contrast these two articles: The first from 2010, talking about how everyone loved his talent, but hated his character; the second, from today, talking about how much he is beloved in Philly, and about how his attitude has had such a positive impact on the Phillies' clubhouse.

From 2010: "It's impossible to find any talent evaluator who isn't blown away by Harper's ability on the field, but it's equally difficult to find one who doesn't genuinely dislike the kid. One scout called him among the worst amateur players he's ever seen from a makeup standpoint, with top-of-the-scale arrogance, a disturbingly large sense of entitlement, and on-field behavior that includes taunting opponents. 'He's just a bad, bad guy,' said one front-office official." https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/10611/future-shock-bryce-harper/

From 2024: "[Harper's] culture of accountability has spread through a clubhouse filled with players who have come to join Harper in Philadelphia, a city that is now a destination for big-name free agents. First it was Zack Wheeler signing a $118 million deal before the 2020 season, then sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos signed on the next season. Finally, Turner reunited with Harper by signing a $300 million contract an offseason ago. Together, they have formed a core beloved in the city as few Philadelphia teams — in any sport — have been before."

I'm a Phillies fan, so I'm going to be biased in his favor. But, I love to see how much he's gone from being considered a "genuinely dislike[d]," and a "bad guy," to being totally beloved by his fans and teammates.