May 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) reacts after hitting a flying out to center during the tenth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Is a Slumping Bryce Harper Holding the Phillies Back From True Contention?

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Dalton Rice | Last updated May 10, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Outside of the Phillies' backup catcher and Brandon Marsh, no other hitter on the team has a lower batting average than Bryce Harper's .229. Only 41 qualified hitters in the sport have a lower batting average than Harper to this point. In his last 25 games, he has hit .219/.327.396, capped off by an 0-for-4 performance with three strikeouts in last night's 6-0 loss to the Guardians.

The issue for Harper through his first 38 games, is that there is not a single type of pitch or situation that he is taking advantage of. In 3-1 counts, where a pitcher is in need of a strike, Harper is hitting only .250 (21 PA). In total, the two-time MVP winner is running a .194 average (32-for-165) in any count with a strike against him, well below his career .253 average in one-strike counts.

"I've gone through stretches like this in my career. It's going to happen. I'll come back out of it and be totally fine. But it's just a frustrating moment, just not being able to come through... I got to be better for my teammates and the fans and they expect that." Harper said earlier this week.

Bryce Harper — last 25 games

.219 BA, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 15 runs scored, 15 BB, .723 OPS

Hitting just .107 on the season when pitcher is ahead in the count. #Phillies
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) May 10, 2025

The eight-time All-Star has not finished a season with a sub-.250 batting average since 2018, his last year with the Washington Nationals. Harper finished with 34 home runs that year and had an OPS of .889, just below his career average of .907. His .752 OPS to this point is far from the bottom of the league but ranks middle of the pack for three-hole hitters league-wide.

Philly fans and analysts have both noted Harper's slow start in 2024 along with the changes that the former 1st-overall pick has made to his batting stance over his recent slump, pointing towards the fact that Harper's adjustments may be taking him away from the hitter that has terrorized opposing pitchers and defenses since his debut as an 19-year-old.

Bryce Harper tweaking his stance during the season isn't uncommon, especially when he's struggling. But I don't remember seeing this variation that he's been using the last few games before. It's almost like Christian Yelich. pic.twitter.com/2CdTzGull7
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) May 3, 2025

After this four game series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, where Harper has a career .152/.237/.273 slash line in 33 at-bats, the Phillies head back home to face the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. In his career, the 32-year-old has a .313/.419/.572 line against St. Louis.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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