The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2026 season with championship expectations once again, but a lot of that hinges on whether Dave Dombrowski’s comments this offseason were right.
"He's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star-caliber player," Dombrowski said, per ESPN. "He didn't have an elite season like he's had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good."
After an offseason that included some unexpected public comments, the questions have shifted toward how superstar Bryce Harper will respond. He didn’t appreciate the comment and made it known.
"I don't get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me it was kind of wild the whole situation of that happening," Harper told reporters. "I think the big thing for me was when we first met with this organization it was, 'Hey, we're always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing,' so when that didn't happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit, so I don't know. It's part of it, I guess. It was kind of a wild situation."
According to Forbes’ Anthony Stitt, those comments could play a role in how far the Phillies ultimately go this season. While they happened months ago, Dombrowski was wrong for saying it.
“One more thing that needs go right: Phillies superstar Bryce Harper must shut up team president Dave Dombrowski, who caused a big offseason drama by wondering out loud about Harper’s declining eliteness in 2025 to a room full of media. If Harper is the elite Harper in 2026, the Phillies will swagger into the postseason,” he wrote.
The key question now is what version of Harper the Phillies will get in 2026. At his best, he’s one of the best hitters in baseball history and a player capable of carrying an offense for stretches and delivering in the biggest moments.
If the 2025 Harper shows up, though he wasn’t bad, it changes a lot.