As the postseason nears, Philadelphia Phillies lead baseball executive Dave Dombrowski might find himself in an interesting conundrum. On one side of the coin, veteran first baseman/outfielder Bryce Harper has had another excellent year, and his .901 OPS is on track to be his highest since his MVP 2021 campaign. He’s only three homers away from his second 30-home-run season in three years, and he’s recorded a league-leading 98 walks.
But as Harper will likely never forget, Dombrowski infamously questioned whether the two-time MVP could regain his “elite” form. He specifically used that term last fall, and his superstar slugger has promptly responded with his bat and leadership.
So if you’re Dombrowski, are you more focused on Harper’s strong numbers, or are you fixated on doubting him? Either way, Harper looks great, and the recent arrival of Luis Arraez has only helped matters.
Bryce Harper has completely proved Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia Phillies wrong
Harper, who turns 34 in October, has spent the last few weeks manning right field. Arraez has played second base, and Alec Bohm moved over to first base. It’s certainly working for the Phillies, even after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. Dombrowski’s squad still held a half-game lead over the Cubs for the NL’s No. 4 seed.
Arraez went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, a surprisingly poor outing from the two-time Silver Slugger. He entered play hitting .291 with 12 RBIs and a .704 OPS through 26 games with the Phillies, and he’s been competent enough. We’re not overly worried about Arraez’s -0.2 bWAR because he’s always been a complicated player to properly grade.
But what Arraez excels at is getting on base via singles, and the more baserunners, the better. Harper and Kyle Schwarber are feared home run threats whenever they enter the box, and Brandon Marsh has his moments. We also wouldn’t be surprised if J.T. Realmuto unexpectedly catches fire come the postseason.
So what does all of this have to do with Harper and Dombrowski? There’s a reason Harper is a Hall of Fame lock. He has continuously proven that he can carry a team regardless of the issue, and this year has been no exception. Despite an early-season managerial change and an inconsistent bullpen, the Phillies can clinch a winning record this weekend. They’re only 11 wins away from their fourth straight 90-win season, a feat they last achieved in 2008-11, and we know how that streak began.
So, no, Harper isn’t necessarily “elite,” not compared to the likes of Shohei Ohtani or a healthy Aaron Judge. But he’s good enough to make the Phillies legitimate contenders to win their first championship since 2008.
And at a potential victory parade, it wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for Harper to reference Dombrowski’s comments. At least they’d be able to bond over the rings and confetti.
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