Bryce Harper Made a Drastic Change to His Look to Try and Break Out of Slump

Phillies star Bryce Harper decided to make some significant adjustments to his appearance in order to snap out of his current cold spell.

The 30-year-old is hitless in his last 16 at-bats leading up to Tuesday’s game against the Padres, and in a concentrated effort to get back in the hit column, Harper has decided to completely shave his beard, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Philadelphia’s designated hitter has not recorded a hit since the calendar turned to September, but perhaps his clean-shaven look will help him re-discover his form in the batter’s box.

Harper has gone 0-for-4 at the plate in each of his last four games. He drew a walk and scored a run on Monday, but still failed to record a hit. Prior to his current ice-cold stretch, Harper had been on a nine-game hit streak which included six multi-hit games.

A new look. pic.twitter.com/fpxqN5i5gZ

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 5, 2023

At least for the time being, the trademark beard Harper has sported for most of his MLB career has been shelved, and he’ll hope to find new life at the plate along with his new look. 

After returning from Tommy John surgery in May, Harper has enjoyed a strong season while serving as the Phillies’ designated hitter. He’s slashing .295/.389/.482 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI across 103 games.