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Phillies' Bryce Harper Shares Surprising Praise About Dodgers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 4:24 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers don't have any direct animosity, having last met in the playoffs in 2009. However, as titans of the National League, the two teams are keenly aware of the other's status as a fierce competitor.

Veteran first baseman Bryce Harper is no stranger to facing the Dodgers, spending his whole career in the NL East with the Nationals before signing a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019. In 60 career games versus the Dodgers, Harper has 10 home runs and a .260 batting average.

The reigning world champion Dodgers aren't often lauded for their monopoly on high-profile talent and the front office's ability to build a talented roster using their wallets.

Harper, however, recently heaped praise on the Dodgers' success in acquiring talent.

Bryce Harper, on how Dodgers spend money and acquire talent, including their pipeline to Japanese stars: “I don’t know if people will like this, but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing. I think they’re a great team. They’re a great organization.”
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 4, 2025

It's a refreshing take from one of the league's most elite talents, with Harper being no stranger to the spotlight from an early age.

Following their 2024 World Series win, their first in a full season since 1989, the Dodgers once again claimed the top of the heap of high-profile free agents. The signings of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to add to their rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Dustin May were mere additions to their star-studded pitching staff that already expects former All-Star Tony Gonsolin back from injury in a few weeks and Shohei Ohtani back in the fold this year.

Harper's praise surely means a lot as success isn't solely predicated on the deepness of a team's wallets, but also the skill of a team's training staff and coaching, with Dave Roberts reigning among the premier managers in the league.

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

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