The Phillies barely had time to exhale after wrapping up the 2025 season before some unexpected drama bubbled up. This time between franchise cornerstone Bryce Harper and team president Dave Dombrowski.

Back in October, Dombrowski raised eyebrows with his blunt assessment of Harper’s year. “He did not have an elite season as he has in the past,” Dombrowski said. “I guess we’ll only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good. Can he rise to the next level again?”

Well, if there’s one thing baseball fans know about Harper, it’s that comments like that don’t just fade away. Harper initially played it relatively calm, admitting he was “hurt” by Dombrowski’s words. But now he’s back in classic Bryce Harper fashion, and his latest remarks are threatening to stir the pot all over again, potentially reigniting tension within the organization.

“Bryce Harper posted a video on TikTok hitting in a shirt that says NOT ELITE,” Talkin’ Baseball reported.

So it doesn’t look like Harper has forgotten those comments from Dombrowski!

Reportedly, during a recent batting practice session, Harper himself posted a video wearing a “Not Elite” shirt. And while it’s always tricky to read too much into a single social media post or outfit choice, it shouldn’t be difficult to interpret that one.

Well, maybe Harper is still annoyed by what Dombrowski said. Maybe the two are on friendly enough terms now that the whole elite label has turned into an inside joke. Or maybe Harper is doing what he’s always done, taking criticism and turning it into fuel.

Nevertheless, it’s a pretty bold move to bring that debate back into the spotlight, especially during what’s already been a tense offseason for the Phillies.

To be fair, Dombrowski’s comment was rooted in Harper’s relatively quiet 2025 by his own lofty standards. Surely, it was a step back from his peak seasons. Harper missed significant time dealing with right wrist inflammation and spent almost all of June on the injured list.

Eventually, he ended up hitting .261 with an .844 OPS, 27 HRs, and 75 RBI across 132 games.

But considering Harper is still launching balls out of the park, Phillies fans can reasonably expect those numbers to climb again once he’s fully healthy and back in rhythm.

Harper is no new to taking the fights to the rivals

Whether it’s on the field or off it, Bryce Harper has always been wired as a fierce competitor. And he’s never been the type to shy away from confrontation.

That mindset showed up again when he reportedly went head-to-head with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred over a salary cap.

Reportedly, back in July, Harper allegedly told Manfred to “get the f*** out of our clubhouse,” according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Surprisingly, the situation didn’t spiral from there.

Passan reported that Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos stepped in, asked a few pointed questions, and helped steer the meeting back into a more productive direction. By the end, Harper and Manfred even shook hands!

So, on the surface, it felt similar to how things eventually cooled down between Harper and Dave Dombrowski. Same heat, some words exchanged, and then a public show of moving on. But with Harper, it’s never that simple. Even when the dust seems to settle, his actions often suggest the story isn’t entirely over.

And judging by his latest not-so-subtle moves, it doesn’t exactly feel like this one is headed for a clean, happy ending either.