Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is trending in the wrong direction at the worst time.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper has absolutely had a strong season overall. He is slashing .268/.381/.486 with 28 home runs and 85 RBI, and he leads the National League with 106 walks.
Lately, however, Harper has been mired in quite a power outage that has further exacerbated the Phillies' offensive issues.
Harper is slashing just .267/.341/.360 in the month of September. He has also homered just once since Aug. 28.
Considering how much Kyle Schwarber has been laboring, Harper's sudden slump becomes that much more crucial.
The playoffs are just days away, and Harper is playing some of his worst baseball of the year. The timing couldn't be any worse, especially when the rest of Philadelphia's lineup has also decide to take an early vacation.
Unfortunately for Harper, his slide is magnified because it's him.
It's a shame, because the 33-year-old was in the midst of an incredible campaign. And remember: that followed Dave Dombrowski claiming he was no longer elite last winter.
Harper obviously took those words to heart, and he came out firing in 2026. His peak came in August, when he slashed .333/.496/.573 in one of his best months in recent memory.
But suddenly, the lefty slugger has gone into a tailspin.
It's important to remember that Harper was dealing with a knee issue earlier in the season, so it is possible something is afflicting him here down the stretch. Either that, or he is just scuffling like any pro hitter does once in a while.
It wouldn't be so bad if Schwarber weren't hitting .153 with a .694 OPS this month, but here we are.
Yes, we know the Phillies will go as far as their starting rotation takes them in the playoffs, but they also need some offensive production, as well.
And right now, they aren't getting it from their very best players.
If Harper and Schwarber aren't hitting, why should we expect anyone else in the lineup to step up? Seems like a fool's errand.
Outside of a stretch in August where Philadelphia looked almost invincible, this offense has been problematic all season long. Except Harper was never really part of that problem.
Until now.
Harper is running out of time to get himself right. He went 0-for-3 with a walk in Philly's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, and he's just two for his last 17 overall. Perhaps the slump is really starting to get to him.
If he isn't able to break through come playoff time, the Phillies will almost certainly be going home early.
