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Phillies' Bryce Harper Sends Strong Message Amid Slow Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated May 5, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Expectations remain sky high for Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite a decent 19-15 record and a second-place standing in the National League East, Harper feels that he can produce more at the plate.

The 32-year-old future Hall of Famer is batting .234 with a .786 OPS, a 119 OPS+, six home runs, 17 RBIs, and 26 walks to 31 strikeouts through his first 128 at-bats.

These are fine numbers for the average player, but Harper is a different story entirely.

“I’m frustrated on a bigger level,” Harper told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Obviously, I’ve been through ruts in my career and gone through ups and downs worse than what I’m on right now. But, just frustrated for the fans, frustrated for my team.”

Harper will need to regain his previous form if he is to lead the Phillies over the postseason hump and capture their first World Series title since 2008.

Since signing a 13-year, $330 million deal in February of 2019, he has kept himself in the upper echelon of Major Leaguers. Now in his seventh year with Philadelphia, Harper has 162-game averages of 34 home runs, 101 RBIs, a .282 batting average, a .918 OPS, and a 147 OPS+.

As he nears the end of his prime, it is now or never for the Phillies to capitalize on his value and a surrounding core of aging veterans.

There is no need to worry, as Harper’s advanced numbers are still strong, and even during this rut, he is still one of the more fearsome bats in this lineup.

His frustration is more telling of his demeanor and competitiveness, both of which have propelled him to incredible heights, even with the spotlight on him since he was 16 years old.

Expect Harper to go on a tear soon and resolve any potential doubts about his ability to still churn out hits and runs.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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