Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper has flown under the radar this season.
Last winter, Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski drew the ire of Bryce Harper when he claimed the two-time NL MVP was no longer elite.
The comments bothered Harper so much that he publicly expressed his displeasure and was also seen wearing a t-shirt that read "Not Elite" during offseason workouts.
That followed a 2025 campaign in which Harper slashed .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs and 75 RBI. Good? Sure? Elite? Eh, maybe Dombrowski had a point.
But Harper has certainly flipped the script here in 2026 and has quietly been one of baseball's best stories.
Yes, the lefty slugger had a rough July in which he slashed .172/.291/.333 and also needled Phillies front office members when he openly campaigned for the team to do something at the MLB trade deadline.
But otherwise, Harper has looked every bit the top-flight hitter we had previously known, and that has been on full display this month with the nine-time All-Star slashing .304/.500/.551. On the season overall, he is slashing .260/.391/.498 with 26 homers and 75 RBI over 559 plate appearances.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman/outfielder Bryce Harper. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Harper also leads the majors with 93 walks, and his .238 ISO is right in line with his career median of .239.
Now, is the 33-year-old the same player from his MVP days? No. And at this age, you couldn't expect him to be. But the fact that he has responded this well to Dombrowski's criticism (if you can call it that) is incredibly impressive.
Harper has even moved back to right field for the first time since a brief stint in 2022 to accommodate Philadelphia's new infield following the addition of Luis Arraez.
And most importantly, the Phillies have won nine games in a row to assert themselves as a clear playoff team in the National League. Harper has obviously played a significant role in that, and he has picked up some of the slack left by expensive stars Kyle Schwarber (who appears to be breaking out of it) and Trea Turner.
Yet, not many people are really talking about Harper, who continues to defy age and physical decline each and every year.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Harper will far exceed his 2025 home run and RBI totals, and he may end up enjoying one of his very best years as a Phillie since initially arriving in 2021.
Harper led the Phils to a World Series appearance in 2022, but a ring is still missing from his resume. Whether or not this is the year he finally acquires one remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the former No. 1 overall pick clearly has a whole lot left in the tank.
And more people need to be discussing it.
