WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday, March 29, 2025 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa Howell/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies are entering their first series of the season against the division rival Atlanta Braves with something to prove.
The team has endured a losing record and sits near the bottom of the National League East, so it would surely like to take this opportunity to steal some games back from the Braves, who have emerged as the division’s leader.
“Obviously, we want to win,” said franchise slugger Bryce Harper following Wednesday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “It’s the main goal of why we’re here. You never want to lose games. Obviously, it’s early in the season, but I don’t like that notion because I like to win games in April as much as I like to win games in September.”
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But if they’re going to do so, the Phillies will need some better results from their offense. After performing as a top-five offensive team in recent years, the Phillies now rank toward the bottom in Major League Baseball for total hits, total runs and team batting average.
Even though he’s toward the top of the team in many offensive categories, a turnaround for the Phillies might have to start with franchise slugger Bryce Harper.
He has been facing some significant questions about his offensive performance ever since team executive Dave Dombrowski openly questioned his “elite” status at the start of the offseason. Harper is slashing .258/.355/.515 so far this year and his willingness to address Dombrowski’s comments head on have served to prolong the talking point.
Harper also fueled off-field speculation about whether or not manager Rob Thomson holds him accountable by dedicating a recent TikTok caption to the issue.
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“Couldn’t go to Aaron Nola’s event though,” wrote one user below a TikTok video that Harper posted, which featured himself brewing a pistachio latte and mentioning that he stayed at the Philadelphia Four Seasons and “got away from the kids” ahead of the team’s off day.
“Yea man you got me,” Harper wrote in a response to that comment below the video. “I shouldn’t have coached last night in little league. I’m a terrible teammate.”
Harper’s response solicited more than 250 likes as of this writing, with numerous messages of support from his followers. But ultimately, the Phillies will be hoping that his social media use, little league responsibilities and interactions with fans won’t further distract from a season that has been less than elite from the plate so far.
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