Bryce Harper takes possible shot at Dave Dombrowski, posts video with ‘Not Elite’ shirt
Aug 31, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) reacts after flying out to end the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
We have some drama in Phillies land.
Known influencer Bryce Harper took to TikTok on Friday night, posting a video of him taking some hacks in the cage. While doing so, he was wearing a black long-sleeve T-shirt, which says “Not Elite” across the chest.
“[Harper’s] still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he’s had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good,” Dave Dombrowski said at the Phillies’ end of season press conference on October 16.
“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had. Again, it wasn’t a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think of one of the top-10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”
Dombrowski clarified his comments a few weeks later on the Foul Territory podcast, saying, “They asked me, ‘What type of year did you think he had?’ And I said, ‘He had a very good year; I don’t think he had an elite year.'”
In 2025, Harper posted a .261 average with a .844 OPS, the second-lowest of his career, slugging 27 home runs and 75 RBI in 501 at-bats. All of these numbers were well below the 33-year-old’s average, who is now over halfway through his 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies. Although Harper missed nearly all of June, dealing with right wrist inflammation.
“It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team,” Harper said to Matt Gelb of The Athletic in October. “Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much…
“I have given my all to Philly from the start. Now there is trade talk? I made every effort to avoid this. It’s all I heard in D.C. I hated it. It makes me feel uncomfortable.”
To clarify, Dombrowski did deny any trade rumors surrounding the future Hall of Famer.
So, either Harper is still hurt by Dombrowski’s comments, he has turned it into a joke, or he is using it as fuel and motivation. I guess that is for us to imagine.
However, if Harper wants to pretend Dombrowski or the Phillies front office was insulting him and use it as motivation to return to elite form, that is fine. But Harper has to have some sort of accountability. He had a down year in 2025. He should not need any sort of fake stimulation to have a bounce-back year.
But, hey, if Harper comes out and hits 40 homers in 2026, who cares?
Benjamin Goldstein
Benjamin has been covering Philly Sports for Philly Sports Reports since 2017. He is a podcaster, writer, and founder of Philly Sports Reports. Benjamin is also an intern at the WBCB Sports Network on 1490AM. Through Philly Sports Reports, Benjamin has gotten the opportunity to meet Phillies owner John Middleton in his suite and be honored as the Philadelphia sports fan of the week for KYW News Radio. He hopes to be reporting on Philly sports as a full-time job in the future.
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