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Bryce Harper seemed to have a message for a key face of his own team.
Shortly after the Philadelphia Phillies were ousted from the postseason, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski proclaimed that his star first baseman “didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past.”
He wasn’t exactly wrong — Harper hit .261 with an .844 OPS in 2025, both lower than his career averages. In both of his MVP seasons, he hit over .300 with an OPS of over 1.000.
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Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies laughs during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. (Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Harper voiced his displeasure with Dombrowski’s comments shortly afterward, and the two are said to have discussed the matter in private. However, it doesn’t seem like Harper is totally over it.
In a recent TikTok post of himself at a batting cage, Harper was seen wearing a shirt that read, “NOT ELITE.”
Harper turned 33 one week after the Phillies were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who eventually won their second consecutive World Series. The Phillies have been a mainstay in October this decade but have been unable to get over the hump.
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 1, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Caean Couto/Getty Images)
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Dombrowski said Harper was “still an All-Star caliber player,” but “we (can) only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good.”
“I look around the league … Freddie Freeman. He’s a really good player, right? He still is a good player. Is he elite like he was before? Probably not to the same extent. Freddie’s a tremendous player. And, that to me, is Bryce. Can he rise to the next level again?” Dombrowski said. “I don’t really know that answer.
“I mean, really, he’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else, is what it comes down to. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had. And, again, it wasn’t a bad year, but when I think of Bryce Harper, you’re thinking elite, you’re thinking one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think [his 2025 season] fit into that category. But, again, very good player.”
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies bats in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 14, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Harper played in 132 games this season, landing on the injured list with a wrist injury. He signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season.
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