Dave Dombrowski’s “Is he elite like he was before?” comment for Bryce Harper brought some backlash from the fans for the Phillies’ president of baseball operations. And that debate got more fire when Harper replied that he was “hurt” by Dombrowski’s statement.

However, later Dombrowski cleared his stance and denied all the trade speculation. Now, Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long reveals vital flaws of Harper in the Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, pointing out a situation where the star could have handled things better.

Long said, “He saw the least amount of strikes in baseball. And he probably ended up swinging too much and probably needed to control the strike zone a little bit better than he did.”

Long points out here how Harper’s biggest challenge was his plate discipline. Knowing how dangerous he can be, he received the least amount of strikes. But instead of being patient and waiting for better pitches, Harper “ended up swinging too much” and should’ve judged better when to swing and when not to.

He then compared his stats. “If you look at different years and what he’s done, yeah, these numbers are probably a little bit down.”

If we take a look at Bryce Harper’s 2024 and 2025 performance, we can understand what Long is trying to say. In 2024, Harper’s home runs were 30, and in 2025, they were 27. Harper delivered a .285 average in 2024, and that number also came down to .262 in 2025. Then, his OPS stood at .898 in 2024 but fell down to .844 in 2025. Finally, with a 550 AB and .373 OBP in 2024 compared to the 501 AB and .357 OBP in 2025, it is very clear that Harper’s 2024 season was definitely better than 2025.

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But Long didn’t just mention the numbers. He also provided the reason behind his decline this year. He said, “You look at Bryce’s year, and he started off with the [right wrist] injury and kind of was playing through whatever difficulties he was feeling. And then he got a little PRP [platelet-rich plasma] injection”.

Harper has been on the injured list since June 6 because of right wrist inflammation. However, before 1st July, 2025’s game against the Padres, the Phillies “reinstated” him from the 10-day injured list. After returning to the team, the star batted effectively. In July, he scored six home runs, which increased to seven in August.

Long also did not stop from praising the Phillies star’s endurance, “He got it taken care of and came back, and I thought he swung the bat really well. It’s a short season for him, because he didn’t get all his at-bats. So if he plays another month, what are those numbers looking like? He ended up with 27 homers. Drove in 75. Does that end up being 35 and 98? I don’t know. So, we’re really talking about minor things.

“But other than that, I was pleased with Bryce’s year, what he did, how he performed. If you look at everybody’s numbers and what they did, Bryce was a big part of our offense, which was a top-five offense, and performed very well during the season, and actually in the playoffs did a stand-up job as well”.

Long ended his statement on Harper with another praise, “But I’m not worried about Bryce. I think Bryce is a very talented player, a really, really good hitter. He’s a middle-of-the-order guy, he’s an impact guy. He’s a superstar in this league and I’m glad he’s on our team”.

While the Phillies are busy with Harper’s situation, another Phillies star who is going to hit the free agency this offseason can make the situation more intense inside the team.

The Phillies are preparing for Kyle Schwarber’s loss

Kyle Schwarber will be the hottest commodity in free agency this offseason. In this season, Schwarber has set some career milestones. He hit 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025. He also had multiple unforgettable games this season. For instance, on August 28, Schwarber delivered four home runs against the Braves and became the first Phillies star to do so since 1996. On October 9, against the Dodgers in NLDS Game 3, he hit two home runs and helped the team avoid an elimination series sweep.

Such a performance has definitely enhanced his value and big-market teams also will try to get him. For the Phillies, it will not be easy to extend him with a one-year, $22 million qualifying offer, as per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.

“The Phillies on Thursday made one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offers to free agents Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez,” Zolecki said. “Neither came as a surprise. Neither Schwarber or Suárez are expected to accept it. First, both are likely to sign lucrative, multiyear contracts in the coming weeks and months. Schwarber and Suárez have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 18 to accept their offers. If they reject them and sign with other teams, the Phillies will receive compensation picks after the fourth round of the 2026 Draft”.

Zolecki also added, “Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month that he would like to bring back Schwarber, Suárez, J.T. Realmuto and center fielder Harrison Bader, although Schwarber and Realmuto are believed to be the top priorities. Schwarber will have no shortage of suitors as one of baseball’s best sluggers, but the Phillies have signaled every intention of doing whatever it takes to bring him back.”

Now, only time will tell whether they will get back Schwarber or not. However, getting him back will definitely help the team in 2026.