Bryce Harper on Team USA’s Villain Status, MLB’s Future Faces and More

Similar to how a sport's conference championship is sometimes more competitive and entertaining than the final itself, Team USA advanced past the Dominican Republic in a tense, 2-1 World Baseball Classic semifinal win on Sunday night that could end up being the game of the tournament.

Next up for the U.S. is the championship on Tuesday night in Miami against either Italy (with Aaron Nola and Dante Nori) or Venezuela.

The Phils have three players with Team USA in Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Brad Keller.

How they've fared

Harper leads the team in at-bats but has gone just 4-for-24 (.167) with a double, RBI, walk and eight strikeouts. The double came in his second at-bat Sunday vs. Luis Severino with Bobby Witt Jr. on first base, but Harper and Witt were stranded after strikeouts of Aaron Judge and Schwarber.

Bryce Harper’s double in the 3rd inning! pic.twitter.com/2x1bgmEaKB
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) March 16, 2026

Schwarber has added to his World Baseball Classic legacy by going 8-for-22 (.364) with a homer, three RBI, five walks and four K's. In 11 games over two WBCs, Schwarber has hit .306/.479/.556 with three homers, seven RBI and twice as many walks (10) as strikeouts (5).

Keller, who joined the Phillies this past offseason on a two-year, $22 million contract to set up for closer Jhoan Duran, has appeared in three games. He's allowed four runs (two earned) on a hit and two walks over 2⅔ innings.

While Harper has not stood out in this tournament, he's one of the faces of baseball and remains a popular interview target. Here is some of what he said on Sunday in Miami.

Embracing the villain role?

Harper was asked if Team USA leans into the perception of being the big bad villain of the international baseball stage. The U.S. was the favorite to win this year's World Baseball Classic and obviously boasts one of the tournament's two best rosters, having beaten the other in the semis.

"I don't know about a villain role. I don't think any of us really thought about that," Harper told reporters.

"It's funny to think about the American way of baseball and the Dominican way of baseball and all this kind of stuff, but it's awesome to see all these cultures come together from Asia to Latin countries to America. That's what's so great about our game. Japan plays a certain game. America plays a certain game. Latin American countries play a certain game. We're all in this tournament feeding off of playing a great game, and that's what makes our game so great is there's so many different cultures that play.

"I can't dance a lick like (Fernando) Tatis can, but I have fun playing this game.

"So I think it's such a storyline for all you guys compared to us. We're just going out there and enjoying the game that we play, and that's kind of how we feel."

Inspired by youth

The only runs Team USA needed against the Dominican Republic came from two solo home runs in the fourth inning. Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson homered off Severino, and Boston's Roman Anthony took former Phillies reliever Gregory Soto deep for the game's deciding run.

Harper was asked about Anthony and gushed about him, Henderson and Witt, remarking that MLB's future is in good hands.

ROMAN ANTHONY GIVES TEAM USA THE LEAD! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/JjEYhF0rQe
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 16, 2026

"It's been fun. He's a stud," Harper said of Anthony. "He's so much fun to watch play. Him and Bobby are going to lead the way for this team for a long time. Gunnar Henderson, the same thing.

"This game is in such a great place with young guys, with so many guys that love the game of baseball. He plays in such a big-market team in Boston. So to be able to have the success in his career this early, it's been a lot of fun to watch.

"I can't say enough about him. He works hard, does everything the right way. He's been a pro. It's been a lot of fun to watch and play with him."

Practice makes perfect

Seated next to Harper was Team USA captain Aaron Judge, who apparently said recently that he finds himself taking dry swings in his hotel room. (As has pretty much every baseball player from Little League on up.)

Harper interjected.

"You don't talk in the microphone in front of the mirror before you come?" he asked the reporter. "I mean, come on, man. Jeez. Hey, Aaron, you don't practice that?"

Harper will likely be taking some dry swings of his own ahead of Tuesday's 8 p.m. WBC final. Team USA has already punched its ticket and gets to sit back and watch Monday night to see if the surprise of the tournament, the Italians, have one more upset left in them.

If Italy is the opponent, Team USA would again face former Phillie Michael Lorenzen, who beat them with 4⅔ scoreless innings last Tuesday.