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The Philadelphia Phillies were 9-19 when they fired manager Rob Thomson on April 28.
Since then, the Phillies have surged under interim manager Don Mattingly — winning eight of nine for a stretch in mid-May — and sit at 27-27 on Monday night.
Maybe Phillies eight-time All-Star and two-time NL MVP first baseman Bryce Harper is superstitious. Most baseball players are. Maybe he switched up how he brushed his teeth without realizing it on April 28, and the Phillies started winning, so now, he can’t go back.
That’s the only acceptable explanation for what I saw from Harper on Monday.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 16: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the dugout during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Harper posted a seemingly normal TikTok, showing him hunched over the bathroom sink in his hotel. He spoke about the “grind” of the Phillies’ previous series in Cleveland, saying he’s “excited to be in San Diego.”
“I thought I’d do a ‘get ready with me,'” Harper said. “I haven’t done this in a long time.”
Harper put in his contact lenses. He continued to explain why he loves San Diego and the West Coast. He covered his mouth while he scraped his tongue, gauging that it’s “the grossest thing ever” and would be an unfortunate thing to have clipped. But he underestimated the reaction to what he did next.
Harper quirted his toothpaste directly into his mouth rather than applying it to his toothbrush.
“Actually diabolical toothpaste application,” a TikTok user named Polly commented.
“Is this toothpaste rage bait,” another TikTok user commented.
In the rest of the video, Harper washed his face, primped his famous hair and beard, and continued to wax poetic about San Diego.
The Phillies went on to beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 later Monday, so in the hypothetical world where this is superstition, it’s working.
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Since then, the Phillies have surged under interim manager Don Mattingly — winning eight of nine for a stretch in mid-May — and sit at 27-27 on Monday night.
Maybe Phillies eight-time All-Star and two-time NL MVP first baseman Bryce Harper is superstitious. Most baseball players are. Maybe he switched up how he brushed his teeth without realizing it on April 28, and the Phillies started winning, so now, he can’t go back.
That’s the only acceptable explanation for what I saw from Harper on Monday.
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 16: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the dugout during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Harper posted a seemingly normal TikTok, showing him hunched over the bathroom sink in his hotel. He spoke about the “grind” of the Phillies’ previous series in Cleveland, saying he’s “excited to be in San Diego.”
“I thought I’d do a ‘get ready with me,'” Harper said. “I haven’t done this in a long time.”
Harper put in his contact lenses. He continued to explain why he loves San Diego and the West Coast. He covered his mouth while he scraped his tongue, gauging that it’s “the grossest thing ever” and would be an unfortunate thing to have clipped. But he underestimated the reaction to what he did next.
Harper quirted his toothpaste directly into his mouth rather than applying it to his toothbrush.
“Actually diabolical toothpaste application,” a TikTok user named Polly commented.
“Is this toothpaste rage bait,” another TikTok user commented.
In the rest of the video, Harper washed his face, primped his famous hair and beard, and continued to wax poetic about San Diego.
The Phillies went on to beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 later Monday, so in the hypothetical world where this is superstition, it’s working.
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