Team USA advanced to the World Baseball Classic final after a thrilling 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Since the beginning, Team USA's been one of the favorites to win the whole tournament, but they've hit some bumps along the way. Philadelphia Phillies' star first baseman Bryce Harper has been a notable example of the imperfect execution of the offense as a whole, despite their roll into the championship on Tuesday.
Harper's name is near the top of the list of the litany of stars gracing Team USA's lineup. The two-time MVP joined the WBC for the first time as a big leaguer this offseason, and aimed to be a real catalyst for the offense. That hasn't been the case so far, and Team USA has chugged along anyway. It's not the reality Phillies fans wanted, but they have to face it with only one game remaining. There's no longer enough time on the clock for Harper to correct his numbers, and he might need to be deemphasized in the title game.
Bryce Harper is now 3-for-21 in the WBC. He really should’ve been moved down in the order for Team USA
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) March 16, 2026
Bryce Harper's stagnant bat has taken a slight back seat with Team USA advancing to championship game
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa reportedly contemplated moving Harper down in the lineup amid his struggles at the plate. DeRosa said he spoke to Harper ahead of the semifinals, and instead decided to keep him in the two hole with the belief that Harper's timing is just off right now. Harper has proven his MVP-like runs in his career, but that simply hasn't happened in this tournament.
Harper has lacked any real threat in the batter's box. In the six games he's played, Harper is 4-for-24 with eight strikeouts and a .439 OPS. He only has one extra base hit and one RBI. Harper has batted second in the lineup in every game he's started, but has not done any damage to aid the middle of the batting order. He's been an unfortunate anchor at the top of the USA lineup with virtually no pop.
One thing that has come up in his time in the WBC, along with stretches with the Phillies in 2025, is Harper's struggles with hitting the fastball. Pitchers look like they're overpowering him and too easily able to generate swings and misses. Even when he does make contact, Harper can only foul it off. Per Statcast, last year he hit .259 against the four-seam fastball. It's only the second time he's hit below .300 against the pitch in his entire career, and we've seen the same visual in the WBC. Phillies fans wanted the big Harper moments in this incredible WBC, but have only gotten disappointment so far.