How about a thread where we can post the latest on how BHarp is doing in the minors. See below.
Talent, confidence belie Harper's youth
By Bob Cohn
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Bryce Harper's early education in his first professional season continued last week against the Pirates' Single-A affiliate in Charleston, W.Va. It was both eventful and productive.
During a series against the West Virginia Power, the 18-year-old Hagerstown Suns outfielder signed autographs; nearly incited a brawl; rained several batting-practice bombs onto Morris Street beyond Appalachian Power Park's right-field wall and got to face his friend, pitcher Jameson Taillon, the Pirates' own phenom making his first pro start (he walked).
Harper, drafted No. 1 just ahead of Taillon by the Washington Nationals last June amid much fanfare, also belted a couple of real homers and continued his torrid hitting since he started wearing contact lenses April 21. By the time he was through with the Power on Friday, Harper had raised his batting average more than 100 points to .333, boosted his home run total from one to five and more than doubled his RBI count to 18 in his past 12 games.
"I feel really comfortable out there, even in my at-bats that I strike out or pop out or something," said Harper, whose media access is being closely guarded by the Nationals to minimize distractions. "I feel like I'm on pitches. I'm not really getting overmatched that much."
Two years ago at age 16, Harper became a national figure when he landed on Sports Illustrated's cover with the headline "Baseball's Chosen One" and was compared to LeBron James. He arguably was the most hyped No. 1 pick in baseball history — the only exception, perhaps, being 2009's No. 1 pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, whom the Nationals also took. Losing 205 games in two seasons can have its rewards.
Harper was so talented that he skipped his final two years of high school in Las Vegas (he earned his GED) and enrolled in the College of Southern Nevada, a junior college. There, he added to his already considerable body of legend and lore, hitting .439 with a school-record 19 homers in his only season. The Nationals, who first scouted Harper when he was 15, gave him a $6.25 million bonus as part of a five-year deal worth nearly $10 million.
A solid 6-foot-3, 220 pounds — he reminds Power manager Gary Robinson of American League MVP Josh Hamilton — Harper is prone to striking out on big swings with runners on base. And the Nationals probably aren't happy knowing their prized prospect — and investment — likes to slide headfirst into first base.
Harper is aggressive on the field, confident bordering on [censored] and a little mouthy. An exchange with Power pitcher Tyler Waldron after striking out led to both benches briefly emptying, though nothing happened.
Then again, as the Nationals are quick to remind, it is early in the process, and Harper is young. The club will take its time with him, although general manager Mike Rizzo recently said he can see Harper as "maybe a 19- or 20-year-old big leaguer."
In Hagerstown, no one is looking beyond the next game.
"You've got to realize he's still 18," first-year manager Brian Daubach said. "But he hits the ball as far as you're going to see an 18-year-old hit the ball. He has the pop of a major leaguer. But there are some things to learn, and that's why he's here. The grind of playing every day can wear you down. It's more mentally grueling than physical."
Harper was a catcher until the Nationals shifted him to the outfield in the hopes that he reaches the big leagues more quickly. The transition has been smooth so far.
"The biggest thing that's impressed me is how well he's adjusted to the outfield from never really playing it," said Daubach, who played eight years in the majors, mainly with Boston. "He has really good instincts, probably because he caught his whole career."
But Harper's instincts with a bat generate most of the conversation.
"You notice his quick hands," Suns hitting coach Marlon Anderson said. "That's what sticks out more than anything. His hands are going to take him as far as he's going to go. ... He's advanced as far as putting his bat on the ball and how the ball takes off. The ball makes a different sound coming off his bat."
Then came the usual disclaimer.
"He's 18," said Anderson, who played with six big league teams over a dozen seasons. "He's young, he's going to make mistakes. His baseball IQ is good in some areas, and some things he's got to work on. I see some inconsistencies now, which is normal because he's 18. He's supposed to be graduating from high school."
