Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski chose an odd time to call out one of his star players last season. Following the team’s postseason departure in October, Dombrowski suggested that first baseman Bryce Harper, a two-time National League MVP, was no longer an elite player.
With spring training getting underway soon, Harper was asked by reporters what he thought of Dombrowski’s comments.
Harper stayed mostly professional throughout his answer, but did express some discontent.
“For me it was kinda wild the whole situation of that happening,” Harper said.
“I think the big thing for me was when we first met with this organization it was, ‘Hey we’re always going to keep things in-house and we expect you to do the same thing.’ So when that didn’t happen it kind of took me for a run a little bit.”
Harper also claimed that the “Not Elite” shirt he wore in a December TikTok of him taking batting practice was not a statement against Dombrowski, merely a shirt that was made for him. Harper claimed, “If they’re going to make [the shirts] for me, I’m going to wear them.” However, the timing seems odd considering Dombrowski had spent the previous month claiming he and Harper had cleared the air.
Harper is entering his age-33 season.
Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper looks on during a light show in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park.
Did Harper struggle in 2025?
By Harper’s standards, absolutely.
In 2025, Harper posted his second-lowest batting average (.261), lowest on-base percentage (.357), and lowest slugging percentage (.487) of his Phillies’ career.
That said, he still posted a 129 OPS+, which is a high-end figure by any metric. Furthermore, his strikeout rate dropped between 2024 (21.9%) and 2025 (20.9%) as well as his average exit velocity (91.3) and barrel percentage (12.3%).
When do the Phillies begin spring training?
The Phillies begin spring training on February 21 with a matchup against the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays. The game is scheduled for a 1:07 p.m. ET start time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryce Harper finally speaks on Dombrowski’s “no longer elite” comment
Read the full article here