The big narrative surrounding Bryce Harper this offseason is whether or not the eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP is still an “elite” player. A debate that Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski sparked with a comment during a media availability earlier this winter.
Whether Harper is an elite player is subjective, but there is one area he could improve upon heading into the 2026 season, which Kevin Long recently detailed during an appearance on MLB Network Radio.
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The Phillies’ hitting coach detailed how Harper must improve his strike-zone awareness and plate discipline.
“Bryce needs to make sure his strike zone is better than it was last year,” Long said. “He sees the least amount of strikes in all of baseball. If that’s the case, then we gotta be a little more disciplined in our own. So there’s always something.”
It’s important to note that Long by no means was calling out Harper or singling the slugger out. The coach was talking about how everyone on the roster has areas for improvement.
Aug 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) reacts after hitting a two RBI home run against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
That said, Harper having better plate discipline is a fair criticism and an area of improvement he should focus on.
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Harper has always been a free-swinging type player, but his discipline during the 2025 season wasn’t great. Harper had a chase-rate of 35.6 percent and a whiff-rate of 30.7 percent, both of which were among his career-highs in those categories.
Still, the slugger managed to slash .261/.357/.487 with an OPS of .844, including 27 home runs and 32 doubles.
Even with the high whiff and chase rate, Harper was still a productive hitter. Now, just imagine the type of hitter he could get back to if he can make some of the adjustments Long is proposing.
When talking about Harper and the rest of the Phillies roster, Long continued, “there are things these guys can do and work on. That sometimes it’s my idea, sometimes it’s theirs, but we’ll attack those areas and try to get better.”
If Harper can make some of these small adjustments and be a little more selective with what he’s swinging at, he could, in return, be more productive and impactful at the plate.