Bryce Harper takes swings wearing ‘Not Elite’ t-shirt
It seems like Bryce Harper took it personally.
Harper, in his latest post on TikTok, took swings inside a batting cage wearing a “Not Elite” t-shirt. This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s comments earlier this offseason on Harper’s 2025 season.
“In Bryce’s case, of course he’s still a quality player,” Dombrowski said in October. “He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good.”
Dombrowski’s comments ignited a firestorm. It led to some reckless trade speculation, which irritated Harper. The Phillies aren’t trading Harper, but everyone agrees that Philadelphia is going to need more from him in 2026.
In 132 games, Harper slashed .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. He battled a wrist injury that kept him out for most of June. Still, he posted the second-highest OPS (.844) among qualified Phillies hitters. It was a great year that didn’t quite live up to Harper’s lofty standards.
Harper, a 14-year major league veteran who has been in the spotlight since he was a teenager, knows how to get a message across. He was clearly irritated by Dombrowski’s remarks, but if it leads to a more motivated and productive version of Harper in 2026, then all of the drama was worth it.
Manager Rob Thomson said on MLB Network Radio during the winter meetings in early December that Harper started his typical offseason workouts earlier than usual.
“He’s working hard at it,” Thomson said. “I think he’s highly motivated. I’m expecting him to have a huge year.”