Over the holidays, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper posted a video on his TikTok of him in the batting cages. What caught people's attention wasn't the hitting itself, but the shirt he was wearing which read “NOT ELITE” across the front.
The quote was an obvious jab at what Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said about Harper's performance this past season. He shed some doubt on Harper's future production, wondering if Harper would be able to play at an elite level again. Harper took exception to that thought.
Harper admittedly wasn't the best version of himself in 2025, but even a down year still produces 27 home runs, 75 RBIs, an .844 OPS, and a 129 OPS+. Questions were understandably raised about a potential decline from Harper as he finished out his age-32 season, but that doesn't mean that he can't be elite anymore.
It also raises questions if Harper and Dombrowski are really on the same page.
Bryce Harper social media post leaves room for doubt about relationship with Dave Dombrowski
In the Phillies' end-of-season press conference, Dombrowski was asked about the view of Harper's season from the club's perspective and if he can bounce back. Dombrowski replied with a shocking comment, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
“Can he rise to the next level again?” Dombrowski asked, per Zolecki. “I don’t really know that answer. He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else.”
Dombrowski later walked back the comments and said that it wasn't meant to be criticism, but Harper didn't feel the same way. The two parties reportedly talked it out after, but that doesn't mean everyone is over it.
Maybe Harper isn't over it after all, and it has stuck with him far into the offseason. Either way, it's not great for the organization to have the team's biggest star at odds with the front office.
On the other hand, It's not entirely surprising to see Harper wearing a shirt that shows him making light of the situation. Harper has no problem showing his emotion on certain things, and this is just the latest example of that. There's a good chance that Harper is just being funny and, even months later, wants to keep that motivation to return to his MVP form heading into the 2026 season.
Harper has been the face of the franchise since he came to Philadelphia on his mega free-agent deal in 2019. He takes pride in playing for the Phillies, but also fuels himself on being counted out.
He's an eight-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, a two-time MVP winner and a postseason hero. Not only that, but he's an important part of the future of the franchise still, and hopefully this blip is nothing more than a funny moment.