Bryce Harper knows how to stir things up against opponents in more ways than just his fiery play on the field. Well, the Phillies dropped a dramatic opener to the Mets, and game two is still underway. But Harper managed to grab the spotlight in a totally different way by keeping a promise he made earlier this summer.

He called it “a rivalry pack.” For context, Harper is one of the rare MLB players with his own signature cleat line. It started with the Harper One back in 2016 and has rolled on every year since, all the way to the Harper 10s in 2025. That makes him one of the longest-running players in baseball with his own shoe series. And this time, he kept the tradition alive in bold fashion, rocking Mets-themed cleats in the series opener.

Remember when he said he’d use his cleats to showcase rivalries? Well, he’s following through.

Earlier this summer, Harper actually hinted at this during a podcast chat with Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He said he planned on breaking out special rivalry-themed cleats. And now, with his Mets-inspired pair stealing the spotlight, that old interview has resurfaced and gone viral.

“My favorite cleats that I’m gonna wear are later this year. It’s actually the rivalry pack,” Harper said. “And so, with certain teams, I’m gonna wear their colors against them. So like, when we go into a certain stadium, I’ll have their team’s colors as my cleats and my batting gloves…I thought that was just like a cool thing that I could do.”

This time, though, Bryce Harper took most of the heat for his choice to roll out what he calls his rivalry pack. He showed up in Mets colors  — blue cleats paired with orange batting gloves  — but couldn’t justify it with his performance.

Since arriving in Philly, Harper’s has built a reputation for fully embracing the city. He’s rocking matching gear and repping the other local teams. But this one didn’t land the same way.

Harper is yet to make his mark against the Mets

If you really want to understand why Harper’s rivalry pack cleats stirred up so much noise, just take a look at his recent numbers against the Mets. Over his last five games with them, Harper has been hitting just .250, collecting 5 hits, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Not exactly superstar-level output by his standards.

And in this current series, the struggles have been even more noticeable. He managed only a single run in the opener, and he’s chipped in 3 hits and 2 RBIs so far in Game 2. Hence, the production still feels a little underwhelming compared to what Phillies fans are used to seeing from their star.

That’s what makes the Mets-themed cleats stand out even more. If Harper had gone off with a monster performance, fans might’ve laughed it off as another chapter in his rivalry-fueled theatrics. Instead, the underwhelming stats combined with the orange-and-blue look have only amplified the criticism.

For a player who usually embodies Philadelphia pride in everything from Phanatic gear to repping other hometown teams, this felt like a rare misstep. And Phillies fans are letting him know it.