Team USA couldn’t keep Venezuela off the scoreboard and fell just short in a one-run loss in the WBC final. And on Thursday, Bryce Harper, along with his two Phillies teammates returned to BayCare Ballpark, marking the final group of WBC participants to rejoin the Phillies. With everyone back in camp, Bryce Harper has already locked in a goal with Opening Day just a week away.

“We’ve been so close as a team. I’ve been so close to the individual players as well.” Harper said via Phillies.com. “Obviously, that’s the remaining thing on the mantle, right? I think obviously winning a gold medal in the WBC would have been incredible. But winning a World Series trophy is what you play for, what you dream for, and you know, hopefully looking forward to doing that this year.”

Winning the World Series is equally important to Harper as was the WBC, if not more. Though the WBC ended in heartbreak, Harper would not want the same for the World Series.

The last time the Phillies played in the World Series was in 2022, when they lost to the Houston Astros, 4-2. Harper hit a two-run home run against the Astros in Game 3, pushing Philadelphia to win, 7-0.

The Phillies made it into the playoffs last year after winning the NL East with a 96-66 record. But they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, 3-1, ending their postseason run. Harper batted .200 with 3 hits, 1 run, and 1 double in the four division series games.

After their postseason run ended, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, questioned whether Harper still had the elite potential.

“He didn’t have an elite season like he has in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again] or he continues to be good,” Dombrowski told the media.

His comments came after Harper struggled with pitch recognition and the strike zone for a long time in his career. Last year, he saw just 43.1% of pitches in the zone, according to MLB.com. Harper’s focus should be on pitch recognition and controlling the strike zone this year.

Another aspect was his decision about the 0-0 counts. He reportedly swung at 0-0 counts 53.8 % of the time last year. This year, if Harper wants to stick to his World Series goal, he needs to improve in this aspect, too.

As Harper arrived at Spring Training, he made it clear that Dombrowski’s comments did not sit well with him. He was also annoyed that he did not follow the clubhouse culture of keeping things in-house.

“I don’t get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me, it was wild the whole situation of that happening,” Harper had said at the time. However, owner John Middleton later revealed they have resolved the issue.

Harper signed a 13-year contract with the Phillies in 2019 without any opt-outs. Last season, he batted .261, hitting 27 home runs with a .844 OPS. This year, he aims to improve his plate discipline and increase his walk rate.

While Harper is back with the Phillies, he has also formed a bond with his Team USA teammates during WBC week. As criticisms kept coming following their finale loss, Harper pushed back at them.

Bryce Harper silences the critics

Team USA has faced significant criticism throughout the WBC week, especially after their loss in the final.

“I think the worst notion that anybody had of Team USA is that we didn’t care. We don’t care about our country, we didn’t play for our country”, Harper said.

Mark DeRosa had put together one of the strongest teams this year in the WBC. Team USA had a power-packed lineup, including Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, and Harper himself. The players have expressed how much it means for them to be able to represent their country internationally.

Judge even talked about preferring the WBC crowd over the World Series fans. So, despite everything, it might be a little harsh to dub Team USA players as completely uncaring.

Calling it “farthest from the truth”, Harper said, “Because a guy did not throw, he doesn’t love his country, we don’t care as much. But you gotta respect the parameters of each guy and their season.”

Harper referred to the overall reaction following Tarik Subal’s decision to pitch in only one game and return to the Detroit Tigers. Harper came in support of Skubal’s decision to return to the Tigers.

Harper’s remarks highlighted an understanding of how much the upcoming season is important for Skubal with his looming free agency. He acknowledged the difficulties of other players and their commitment to various franchises, but he strongly opposed the notion of not caring for his own country.