Despite the drama throughout the offseason, Bryce Harper is gearing up to play for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2026. With spring training about to begin, Harper explains how the cleanup spot in the lineup needs to perform better this year. He also goes into depth about how the No. 4 spot in the lineup is so important to the team's success.
The 33-year-old first baseman believes the No. 4 spot in the Phillies' lineup will make the biggest impact for the team this season, according to John Clark of NBCS Philadelphia. Harper admitted the cleanup role didn't perform well last season, and whether it's him or Kyle Schwarber, they need to play well.
“I think it's a huge impact in the four spot,” said Harper. “It doesn't matter if it's me or Kyle. Because if Schwarbs is hitting there, the same thing is going to happen. So I think four spot is a huge impact. I think the numbers in the four spot weren't very good last year, for our whole team. Whoever is in that four spot is going to have a big job, depending on who's hitting three.”
Bryce Harper is entering his 15th season in MLB, and his eighth with the Phillies. He's likely to hit in the three or four hole for his team once again. Philadelphia had a ton of success in 2025 but was eliminated early in the playoffs after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
Harper and his team will have another opportunity to make a deep run in the postseason in 2026. The eight-time All-Star aims to have a big year after ending last season with a .261 batting average and .357 OBP, along with 131 hits, 27 home runs, and 75 RBIs.
