Aug 25, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher
Nothing Bryce Harper says or does is ever by accident.
So it surely wasn't a coincidence that Harper posted a TikTok of himself taking batting practice Friday while wearing a shirt that says "Not Elite," which Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation first pointed out:
Bryce Harper’s new shirt via his TikTok: “Not elite.” pic.twitter.com/51wbLrgdXF
This shirt is almost certainly a reference to comments that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had about Harper's 2025 season in his year-end press conference in mid October.
"I guess we'll find out if he becomes elite (again) or he continues to be good," Dombrowski said. "Can he rise to the next level? I don't really know the 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. It wasn't a bad year, but when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite. You think one of the top 10 players in baseball. I don't think he fit into that category. Very good player, but I have no idea. I've seen guys his age ... level off, and I've seen guys rise again. We'll see what happens."
By his own standards, Bryce Harper had a down season. Will that become a trend? Dave Dombrowski says it’s up to Harper.
“I guess we will find out if he becomes elite, or if he continues to be good.”
(via @GraceDelPizzo) pic.twitter.com/8hjsp5yJRC
As fair as Dombrowski's comments would have been if an analyst made them, they were a surprisingly honest assessment from the Phillies' top baseball executive and certainly had a fallout.
The fallout included Harper speaking to Matt Gelb of The Athletic about his feelings on Dombrowski's comments and the trade speculation it led to:
“All players get hurt,” Harper said on Oct. 25. “I hurt my wrist this year and missed a month. Of course I don’t have full-year numbers.
“It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team. Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much.”
Since then, both sides have kept quiet publicly, though Harper will surely be asked about it when he reports to Spring Training in February. He seems to be embracing the storyline with this shirt.
Whether the point of Dombrowski's comments was to light a fire under Harper or it was a case of him being a little too honest for his own good is still unclear. From here, the biggest obstacle facing Harper isn't his desire to be great, but his ability as he enters his 15th MLB season to stay on the field.
