The Philadelphia Phillies are once again in a great position to win the NL East for the second year in a row. However, this promising season has been full of ups and downs. For Bryce Harper, it’s all about knowing exactly how good you are as an individual player.
“You have to have that confidence, cause this game, it’s so hard,” Harper said. “It’ll eat you up and spit you out. Sometimes you’re going through it, you’re going well and other times it’s one of the hardest games to play in the world. Being able to have confidence in your ability, cause it’s a really tough game, but understanding you’re really good and sometimes you’re going to go through the ups and downs.”
The Phillies will have to make some tough free agency decisions this summer, particularly with Kyle Schwarber, whose stock continues to rise. Over the weekend, the Phillies faced off against the Braves, a rivalry that’s heated on both sides — and rightfully so.
In the series finale on Sunday night, Harper decided to turn back the clock on an iconic moment from the NLDS. Not only did he turn back the clock, but he put it on a pair of cleats, taking an ultimate shot at Atlanta.
“Bryce Harper is wearing cleats that say ‘atta boy’ against the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball, a callback to Orlando Arcia’s comments after Game 2 of the 2023 NLDS,” Jomboy Media posted.
Bryce Harper is wearing cleats that say “atta boy” against the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball, a callback to Orlando Arcia’s comments after Game 2 of the 2023 NLDS pic.twitter.com/SpCZw00y1Y
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 1, 2025
For some context, Harper was doubled off to lose Game 2 in that NLDS. After the game, Arcia made these comments toward Harper, not expecting them to get out.
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“Arcia repeatedly laughed and yelled, ‘Atta boy, Harper!’” MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki wrote.
In Game 3, Harper hit a home run and stared Arcia down while rounding the bases. For Harper, this iconic moment in the Braves-Phillies rivalry doesn’t seem likely to fade away. With Arcia no longer on the Braves roster, Harper may have simply felt like reminding Atlanta of that moment during a tough season. It’s not every day something like this happens, but when things are going well for Harper and the Phillies, there’s no reason not to.
