Everyone expected the Phillies’ star-studded lineup to get past the Dodgers in the NLDS. And why not? They led the NL in hits during the regular season and finished fourth in all of baseball in slugging. But in the postseason? A totally different story.

Their big three — Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper — have combined to go just 2-for-21 (.095) with 11 SOs over the first two games. The result has been a pretty helpless showing against the Dodgers, and it didn’t take long for team president Dave Dombrowski to publicly call out the group, even saying Bryce Harper isn’t an “elite” player.

Now, though, new reports suggest Harper might not be as bad as he’s been made out to be, stirring up that old debate again… Should home runs really be the main standard for judging a slugger?

“And going forward, there’s no doubt which player I’d prefer. Harper’s more nuanced all-around game is likely to age better than Schwarber’s,” Forbes.com’s Tony Blengino took his side.

Yes, as per Blengino, Harper offers better value over Schwarber! How?

Well, Harper actually plays a position… And while first base isn’t the most demanding spot on the field, he handles it well. Notably, his defensive adjustment of -8.2 runs puts him in the upper half of qualifying NL first basemen.

Schwarber, on the other hand, is basically a full-time DH who only gets thrown into the outfield once in a while, and it shows. His -19.5 defensive adjustment is rough. So defensively, Harper is way ahead of Schwarber.

Harper also has a much lower pop-up rate, more than a full standard deviation below league average, which is rare for a guy with power. Schwarber’s is more than a full standard deviation above. That means Harper’s floor as a hitter is higher, even if Schwarber still has the edge in pure power.

Schwarber’s own advanced metrics underline the concern. While he delivers elite home-run output, his strikeout rate, chase rate, and negative defensive WAR have consistently placed him near the bottom among qualified NL hitters.

Even with his massive power, those weaknesses widen the gap between him and Harper when you evaluate total value — especially over a long season where defense and situational at-bats matter.

And here’s the key difference: Schwarber produces that profile as a pure DH, while Harper gives you impact offense and plays first base.

Over the long run, that positional value matters because teams can’t rely on a DH to produce monster home-run totals every season. That’s why Harper’s overall value — and the way he’s expected to age — projects as far more team-friendly.

Harper’s underlying offensive profile reinforces that point. In 2024–2025, he ranked near the top of the NL in hard-hit rate, barrel percentage, and expected slugging.

Those indicators show his postseason slump was more about timing than decline, supporting the argument that Harper’s all-around game holds stronger long-term value than Schwarber’s one-dimensional power approach.

Bryce Harper is here to stay

Well, whatever may have gone down between Harper and Dombrowski, it seems like any friction has cooled off. Dombrowski even downplayed the whole situation afterward, saying, “We had a nice conversation,” which pretty much put an end to the chatter about a rift. So, for now, it feels like the clubhouse has settled back into place, and the organization can turn its attention to shaping next year’s roster.

Dombrowski also took a moment to clarify how the Phillies view Harper defensively. Harper has said he’d be open to moving back to the outfield if the team added a legitimate first baseman. Still, Dombrowski reiterated that Harper remains the club’s everyday option at first.

That alone sets up an interesting storyline for next season: will he stay at first base, or could a roster move shift him back into the outfield?

Meanwhile, the Phillies are reportedly aiming to bring back both Schwarber and Realmuto, keeping most of their core intact heading into 2026.

And the Harper–Schwarber contrast factors directly into that planning.

Harper’s ability to hold down first base gives the front office more lineup flexibility and freedom to manage DH at-bats, while Schwarber’s defensive limitations require the club to balance his power with the trade-offs that come as he moves deeper into his mid-30s.