Why Browns' Deshaun Watson's favorite baseball player is Phillies' Bryce Harper

The Cleveland Browns invested a lot in Deshaun Watson, and it's been a horrible trade and a horrible contract. So much so that Jimmy Haslam called the deal a "swing and a miss."

If the trade wasn't a mistake before, it certainly looked like one after that comment. Now, during his first interview since the 2024 injury that ended his season, he made an interesting comment on Halsam's "swing and a miss" comment.

Leah Doherty of Cleveland 19 News shared Watson's perspective on this Haslam comment, with the Browns quarterback calling Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper his favorite baseball player.

Why Deshaun Watson called Bryce Harper his favorite baseball player

"One of my favorite baseball players that I've been watching is Bryce Harper," Watson said. "Sometimes he swings (and misses), but he stands back up and gets another opportunity, and he hits a home run. So, you never know when the opportunity might show up, so that's what I have right now."

With Haslam calling the Watson trade a "swing and a miss," Watson is pointing to Phillies superstar and MVP Bryce Harper as an example of someone bouncing back from a swing and a miss.

Harper, like every baseball player, has plenty of swings and misses, both this season and in his Major League career. Every hitter, regardless of how good they are, is going to miss contact often in baseball.

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Watson calling Harper one of his favorite players for this reason is an interesting way to push back on the "swing and a miss" comment from Haslem, as, just like Harper, Watson believes he can come back from a swing and a miss.

With this upcoming season being the final year of his contract, this might be his last chance to try and put that "swing and a miss" label behind him. It won't be easy, but a good 2026 season would certainly help make it look a little less disastrous.

The Browns QB is calling Harper one of his favorite players for his ability to bounce back from swinging and missing at a pitch and hitting a home run.

While it's going to be hard for Watson to hit a home run to make up for this trade being a swing and a miss, barring a Super Bowl title, he's still going to try to make the most out of what's likely his final season with the Browns in 2026.

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