Bryce Harper still one of MLB's best despite Dave Dombrowski's comments

"I don't think ... I mean in Bryce's case, of course, he's still a quality player. He's still a All Star caliber player," Dombrowski said on Thursday to the media. "He didn't have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes the elite or he continues to be good. It's not like he's, say to me, I look around the league, Freddie Freeman is a really good player, right? He still is a good player. Is he elite like he was before? Probably not to the same extent. And so that's nothing negative ... Freddie's a tremendous player. And that's, to me, is Bryce. Can he rise to the next level again? I don't really know that answer. I mean, and really, he's the one that will dictate that, more than anything else, is what it comes down to. So 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 think an elite, right? You're thinking one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don't think it fit into that category. But again, very good player. I have no idea, when you see somebody, I have seen guys at his age, again he's not old, that level off, or I've seen guys rise again. We'll see what happens."

Bryce Harper is still an "elite" player in baseball 

Though Harper has slowed down since winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2021, he is still one of the best players in baseball. Harper showed that by hitting 27 home runs (No. 17 in the National League) and 32 doubles (tied for 13 in the National League) in 132 games after missing nearly a month due to a wrist issue in June. 

Harper showed his abilities a couple of weeks after coming off the injured list by going 4-for-6 in a 13-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on July 9. All four of Harper's hits were extra-base hits — he tallied three doubles and a home run — and he collected 10 total bases. After the game, Harper reminded everyone that “when I’m going well, I’m one of the best in baseball.” 

“I mean, I’m really good,” Harper said, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “I really am. I don’t want to put that out there and everybody goes, ‘What’s he talking about?’ But I know when I’m going well, I’m one of the best in baseball. Like I said, I’m healthy, I’m strong, I feel great. It’s just putting myself into plus counts. I haven’t done that. You guys have seen that. I haven’t done that. I feel stronger than ever. I feel like today being able to go oppo and do those things … anywhere else I might have three homers. Right? Those are the things you think about.”

Dealing with a handful of injuries over the past few seasons including a wrist injury last season, a hamstring injury in 2024 and Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2022, which limited him to 99 games and cost him the beginning of 2023, Harper has not had a fully healthy season since 2019 when he played in 157 games. 

Harper has also lacked protection in the lineup. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been hitting behind Harper, leading teams to navigate around him and face others in the lineup, limiting Harper's opportunities to do damage. Signing someone to provide that protection, which he had in 2021 (.309 batting average, 1.044 OPS) and 2022 (.286, .877) with Rhys Hoskins, will lead to Harper having the same production again. 

Entering the offseason healthy, Harper can come back and prove Dombrowski wrong next season by helping lead the Phillies past the Dodgers and to a World Series title. It's what he signed to accomplish.