Bryce Harper’s “Not Elite” Shirt Sends a Clear Message as Phillies Prep for 2026

Lost in the holiday weekend was Bryce Harper’s new look. Via social media, the Phillies slugger showed he was back to work and getting ready for the 2026 season. Harper continues to sport his Super Troopers ’stache, but that wasn’t what caught fans’ attention.

The former MVP was taking BP in a black t-shirt with “Not Elite” emblazoned across the front, a clear reference to Dave Dombrowski’s postseason comments regarding Harper’s pedestrian 2025 performance.

Those comments ignited a full-blown shitstorm: trade rumors, a Harper interview with The Athletic, a sit-down between Harper and Dombrowski, and what appeared to be organizational kumbaya.

And now, the day after the birth of our Lord (if that’s your faith), we get this.

Fantastic.

No, seriously. Fantastic.

I tend to agree with On Pattison’s Anthony SanFillipo, this could wind up being a very good thing for the Phillies.

Clearly, and rightfully so, the comments irked Harper. So much so that they’ve likely served their intended purpose: motivating a future Hall of Famer who may not be used to hearing his name mentioned in anything other than elite company.

To be fair, 2025 wasn’t Harper at his peak. His power numbers dipped, his OPS fell noticeably from the prior season, and he never quite looked like the middle-of-the-order force Phillies fans saw in 2024 — when he was an All-Star, driving the ball with authority, controlling the strike zone, and carrying stretches of the offense. Even in a “down” year, Harper was still productive by league standards — but by Bryce Harper standards, it wasn’t enough.

Could this all go sideways? Absolutely.

But if you’re asking me whether I’ll bet $1 on a motivated Bryce Harper showing up in Clearwater in a little over six weeks with a chip on his shoulder, a message to send, and something to prove — I’m taking that bet every single time.

And I’m probably bumping it up to $5!