Bryce Harper isn’t mincing words about his performance during the Philadelphia Phillies’ 19-15 start to the season.

“I’m frustrated on a bigger level,” Harper told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber. “Obviously I’ve been through ruts in my career and gone through ups and downs worse than what I’m on right now. But just frustrated for the fans, frustrated for my team.”

The Phillies superstar is slashing .234/.346/.422 with six home runs, six doubles, 17 RBI, and 20 runs scored. While his 119 OPS+ remains above league average, it falls well short of his career marks of .908 OPS and 143 OPS+.

Harper’s struggles are particularly evident in his recent performance. During a seven-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins, he went 8-for-25 (.320) with two doubles, three homers, and a 1.229 OPS. However, in the 12 games since, Harper has managed just 8-for-47 (.170) with two doubles, one homer, and a .568 OPS, according to Lauber. His home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday was his first since April 18.

Despite the 32-year-old first baseman’s slump, manager Rob Thomson expressed confidence in the two-time NL MVP.

“There’s not a whole lot of slug there right now,” Thomson noted. “But it’s going to be there. He’s really the last guy I worry about. I don’t think he’s that far off.”

The underlying metrics support Thomson’s optimism. Harper continues to hit the ball hard, ranking in the 78th percentile in average exit velocity (91.4), 84th percentile in hard-hit percentage (49.5), and 86th percentile in bat speed (74.5).

Harper himself maintains perspective about the situation.