Bryce Harper is already bracing for a new-look Phillies team. After Atlanta beat Philadelphia 6-2 in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series to end their season, Harper said the roster is likely headed for big changes, as first reported by ClutchPoints.
“I’d imagine this team would look a lot different next year with the guys that are kind of leaving this clubhouse. So we’ll see,” Harper told NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Five Years, No Ring
Philly’s October résumé keeps getting shorter. Per ClutchPoints, they lost the World Series in 2022, fell in the NLCS in 2023 and bowed out in the NLDS in 2024 and 2025. This year, they didn’t get out of the Wild Card round.
The season itself was a roller coaster. Don Mattingly took over as interim manager after a 9-19 start and went 79-55 the rest of the way, per Phillies Nation. Asked about his future after the loss, Mattingly said, “It’s not the time to talk about anything like that.”
The free agent list is real, too: Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, José Alvarado and deadline pickup Luis Arraez are all set to hit the market, per Phillies Nation.
The IAHHM Take
Harper didn’t sound bitter. He sounded like a vet who knows how this works. The core of Harper, Kyle Schwarber and company can still hit, but Philly needs pitching depth and a bullpen that doesn’t run out of gas in September.
Meanwhile, Atlanta keeps rolling into an NLDS date with the Dodgers behind Chris Sale’s big night. And if you need a reminder of what Harper can still do, revisit his cycle back in June.
So what’s the move, Philly: keep Mattingly and retool around the core, or blow it up?
Source: ClutchPoints | Additional reporting: Phillies Nation
