Author Topic: The Bryce Harper Compendium (2015) (Read 161069 times)

BeltwayBaseball · « **Reply #725 on:** May 17, 2015, 11:10:15 pm »

Quote from: mimontero88 on May 17, 2015, 09:03:08 pm

I really think Bryce wants to be a one-team player like he said at the very beginning. If we give him the appropriate megadeal, I believe he stays. I would also say we should start working on that soon.

This, Bryce likes winning and the Yankees have about zero farm, so they aren't likely to be great for a while. Harper I think, other than winning, loves a sort of image he'd like to craft, or persona, he wants to be a Ted Williams, a Cal Ripken, etc. He can only be that guy in DC. Unless we seriously lowball him, I think he will take that opportunity to be a part of "history," especially with a club that has little.

skippy1999 · « **Reply #726 on:** May 17, 2015, 11:16:31 pm »

Quote from: madj55 on May 17, 2015, 08:46:24 pm

I honestly think we do.

Me too

Optics · « **Reply #727 on:** May 18, 2015, 12:06:22 am »

I don't see him going to the Yankees. If he does leave I think it'd be to a West Coast team. This notion that the Yankees just get every star player is an overblown myth.

zimm_da_kid · « **Reply #728 on:** May 18, 2015, 01:01:28 am »

Bryce is gonna bat .400 sometime during his career. The at bats he's been having have been otherworldly. Pitchers are scared of him, so they pitch around him. He doesn't miss when they make a mistake though. Een if it's not for a homerun, he'll get a hit out of it.

Count Walewski · « **Reply #729 on:** May 18, 2015, 07:16:42 am »

Throughout Harper's tenure here, I have been highly critical of him for being too aggressive at the plate. Part of this is because I know he has the talent to be a patient hitter who takes a lot of walks.

Lately, Harper has been taking pitches and I think its working wonderfully for him. In fact, last night when he was batting with the bases loaded (in the at bat that ended with an infield single and RBI), he took two called strikes on pitches that were very low and should have been balls. I felt bad for Harper because he was finally doing what I wanted him to do and being punished for it by the home plate umpire!

Slateman · « **Reply #730 on:** May 18, 2015, 08:07:44 am »

Quote from: Count Walewski on May 18, 2015, 07:16:42 am

Throughout Harper's tenure here, I have been highly critical of him for being too aggressive at the plate. Part of this is because I know he has the talent to be a patient hitter who takes a lot of walks.

Lately, Harper has been taking pitches and I think its working wonderfully for him. In fact, last night when he was batting with the bases loaded (in the at bat that ended with an infield single and RBI), he took two called strikes on pitches that were very low and should have been balls. I felt bad for Harper because he was finally doing what I wanted him to do and being punished for it by the home plate umpire!

Yep. The big question is: Can he stay here? We knew he had the talent. But his passion frequently gets in the way of his ability. He's had months where he went on a tear and then completely disappears. Slumps happen, but can he stay at the point where he is still able to produce somewhat and not go in to a spinning black hole of nothing?

aspenbubba · « **Reply #731 on:** May 18, 2015, 08:15:00 am »

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next two games. Will he try to showcase his talents to the team most often mentioned as his future landing spot after FA?

Slateman · « **Reply #732 on:** May 18, 2015, 08:18:35 am »

Quote from: aspenbubba on May 18, 2015, 08:15:00 am

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next two games. Will he try to showcase his talents to the team most often mentioned as his future landing spot after FA?

Indeed. Last time he faced the Yankees, it was the start of one of those black holes.

PebbleBall · « **Reply #733 on:** May 18, 2015, 08:20:51 am »

Quote from: Slateman on May 18, 2015, 08:07:44 am

Yep. The big question is: Can he stay here?

Harper's last six games: .474/.630/.894

The six games before his last series against the Yankees, at age 19: .476/.542/.857

We'll see how he does when the gravy train rolls back out of town.

tomterp · « **Reply #734 on:** May 18, 2015, 08:55:55 am »

Quote from: Count Walewski on May 18, 2015, 07:16:42 am

Throughout Harper's tenure here, I have been highly critical of him for being too aggressive at the plate. Part of this is because I know he has the talent to be a patient hitter who takes a lot of walks.

Lately, Harper has been taking pitches and I think its working wonderfully for him. In fact, last night when he was batting with the bases loaded (in the at bat that ended with an infield single and RBI), he took two called strikes on pitches that were very low and should have been balls. I felt bad for Harper because he was finally doing what I wanted him to do and being punished for it by the home plate umpire!

Yet still, NL leaders in walks:

Harper - 35
Pederson - 28
Holliday - 25

And in the AL:

Santana - 30

He may lap the field if he keeps this up. Bondsian.

Smithian · « **Reply #735 on:** May 18, 2015, 10:08:09 am »

Quote from: zimm_da_kid on May 18, 2015, 01:01:28 am

Bryce is gonna bat .400 sometime during his career. The at bats he's been having have been otherworldly. Pitchers are scared of him, so they pitch around him. He doesn't miss when they make a mistake though. Een if it's not for a homerun, he'll get a hit out of it.

I'll settle for an 1.100+ OPS over a full season.

Clever · « **Reply #736 on:** May 18, 2015, 10:26:48 am »

Quote from: tomterp on May 18, 2015, 08:55:55 am

Yet still, NL leaders in walks:

Harper - 36
Pederson - 28
Holliday - 25

And in the AL:

Santana - 30

He may lap the field if he keeps this up. Bondsian.

Notched another yesterday. 36 BB & 39 K now, amazing!

stealyerbase · « **Reply #737 on:** May 18, 2015, 10:46:58 am »

A magical streak! Bam-Bam is En Fuego. A joy to watch this young man dominate at the plate. He seems to be doing everything the right way right now. Completely unsustainable level of play, enjoy it while it lasts. Must see baseball.

NJ Ave · « **Reply #738 on:** May 18, 2015, 10:57:23 am »

Quote from: Smithian on May 18, 2015, 10:08:09 am

I'll settle for an 1.100+ OPS over a full season.

I would also "settle" for the highest OPS since 2009

NJ Ave · « **Reply #739 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:05:05 am »

Quote from: stealyerbase on May 18, 2015, 10:46:58 am

Completely unsustainable level of play

Yes, but the question is "how unsustainable"? If he actually is becoming a 1.000 OPS-type monster, then even his regression will be a better hitter than we had all last season. That kind of player probably cruises along at a .900 OPS clip and has occasional hot streaks like the one we're seeing now.

If he's really only a .900 OPS player, that likely means we're in for an extended cold streak on an OPS in the .600s. But I can't believe that's the case. I remember lots of guys getting hot and "hitting everything" but Bryce is just controlling the strike zone in a way that only really really great hitters do. He's not just getting lucky.

PC · « **Reply #740 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:21:26 am »

Quote from: stealyerbase on May 18, 2015, 10:46:58 am

A magical streak! Bam-Bam is En Fuego. A joy to watch this young man dominate at the plate. He seems to be doing everything the right way right now. Completely unsustainable level of play, enjoy it while it lasts. Must see baseball.

Players have sustained this level of play for extended periods of time. The Hall of Fame is full of them.

houston-nat · « **Reply #741 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:31:41 am »

FanGraphs says Bryce Harper is the new Miguel Cabrera. (sort of)

imref · « **Reply #742 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:35:28 am »

it was pretty clear that the offensive plan this season required Harper to take a big step, becoming the central piece rather than just a cog. So far he's responded, just please don't let him get hurt.

Ray D · « **Reply #743 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:36:43 am »

Quote from: houston-nat on May 18, 2015, 11:31:41 am

Bryce Harper is the new Miguel Cabrera

Harper is sober.

Slateman · « **Reply #744 on:** May 18, 2015, 12:01:23 pm »

Quote from: Ray D on May 18, 2015, 11:36:43 am

Harper is sober.

Not so sure about that

UMDNats · « **Reply #745 on:** May 18, 2015, 12:17:12 pm »

Quote from: houston-nat on May 18, 2015, 11:31:41 am

FanGraphs says Bryce Harper is the new Miguel Cabrera. (sort of)

The full list of hitters in baseball history that stepped to the plate 2,000 times by the end of their age-22 season and put up a 136 wRC+ or better? Mike Trout (165), Ty Cobb (159), Mickey Mantle (149), and Mel Ott (147). Ken Griffey Jr was at 134. Alex Rodriguez was at 130.

good company

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #746 on:** May 18, 2015, 12:48:17 pm »

Quote from: Slateman on May 18, 2015, 12:01:23 pm

Not so sure about that

He is high on himself. And probably with good reason.

Optics · « **Reply #747 on:** May 18, 2015, 02:00:26 pm »

We'll likely see a drop off in home runs, only because he's on pace to hit over 50 and that's kind of insane. Even 40 homers would be a monster year. Hell even 30 in today's MLB is really really good.

Everything else I think we'll see him sustain it for the most part although over the course of a season everyone has hot and cold stretches.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #748 on:** May 18, 2015, 02:04:23 pm »

The average will have to fall back, over this stretch, he's out pacing Ted Williams and that can't hold up

whytev · « **Reply #749 on:** May 18, 2015, 03:08:43 pm »

Quote from: Optics on May 18, 2015, 02:00:26 pm

We'll likely see a drop off in home runs, only because he's on pace to hit over 50 and that's kind of insane. Even 40 homers would be a monster year. Hell even 30 in today's MLB is really really good.

Everything else I think we'll see him sustain it for the most part although over the course of a season everyone has hot and cold stretches.

If Cruz hits 40 last year, Harper hits 40 this year. No problem.

He's 1/3 of the way there.