‘Not elite’? Bryce Harper has a plan to return to form

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

‘Not elite’? Phillies star Bryce Harper has a plan to return to form

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 12:13 PM ET

After team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski labeled him “not elite” this offseason, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper didn’t dwell on it — he mapped out exactly how he plans to prove otherwise.

“I just need to really trust myself… and get back to trying to hit that ball in that box… Just got to do the best I can, to stay in my zone,” the first baseman recently told MLB Network’s Lauren Shehadi.

Even while battling wrist inflammation last season, Harper appeared in 132 games and still hit .261 with an .844 OPS and 27 home runs. Elite or not, the two-time MVP clearly took Dombrowski's words personally.

After his arrival at spring training, reporters asked Harper about his boss' comments. "I don't get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me, it was kind of wild," he said.

In Harper’s MVP season in 2021, he walked 100 times and struck out only 34 more times (134), and led Major League Baseball in doubles (42), slugging percentage (.615), and OPS (1.044).

Harper’s MVP season in 2015 was even better, as at 22, he led the National League in home runs (42) and MLB in on-base percentage (.460), slugging percentage (.649) and OPS (1.109).

The Phillies could use an MVP season from Bryce Harper

In the eighth year of his 13-year ($330 million) contract, Harper has made the postseason in each of the past four seasons (2022-25), reaching the World Series in 2022 and losing to the Houston Astros.

In the 2025 NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the eventual World Series champs, Harper flopped, batting .200 with an OPS of .600 and striking out three times in 15 at-bats.

With Kyle Schwarber — the National League MVP runner-up to two-way Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani — hitting either in front of or behind Harper, he should see plenty of pitches to attack.

“I still have a lot to prove to myself,” Harper told The Athletic's Matt Gelb recently. “That’s my inner monologue. You know what I’m saying? I put a lot of pressure on myself. I just always have.”

The X factor for Philadelphia will be right-fielder Adolis Garcia, who was an All-Star and hit 39 home runs in 2023. The former Texas Rangers standout could turn into the right-handed power bat the Phillies have lacked since first baseman Rhys Hoskins left in 2022.

But the Phillies need MVP Bryce Harper again. The only question is whether he still has it.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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