If Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski was looking to light a fire under Bryce Harper, he succeeded.
Dombrowski made some comments in October in which he questioned whether Harper could return to being an elite player in the future.
“He is still a quality player. He is still an All-Star caliber player. He did not have an elite season like he has in the past. I guess we will only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good. Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. He is the one that will dictate that. I don’t think he is content with the year he had, and it wasn’t a bad year. But when you think of Bryce Harper, you think elite. You’re thinking of one of the top 10 players in baseball. I don’t think it fit into that category. He is a very good player,” Dombrowski said of Harper.
Phillies President Dave Dombrowski said he does not know if Bryce Harper can be an elite player again 👀 Bryce turned 33 today.
“He is still a quality player. He is still an All-Star caliber player. He did not have an elite season like he has in the past. I guess we will only… pic.twitter.com/lqwEApDxpp
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) October 16, 2025
Harper definitely saw those comments and took note.
During the week, Harper shared a video on TikTok of him hitting. He was seen wearing a long-sleeve shirt that said “not elite” on it.
Bryce Harper posted a video on TikTok hitting in a shirt that says “NOT ELITE” https://t.co/ShlwxDFoK8 pic.twitter.com/yKxYRrsCKt
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 27, 2025
Harper is known for taking things personally and being motivated by words.
Harper is 33 and batted .261 with an .844 OPS in 132 games last season. He has won NL MVP twice during his career, with the last MVP season coming in 2021. Maybe Harper is due for another big season, especially after being egged on by his own team.