The Washington Nationals got their hands on the most hyped prospect of my lifetime
Bryce Harper was the most hyped baseball prospect of my life. At just 16 years old, he was labeled the Lebron James of baseball. Harper had created a mythology around his name by the time the Washington Nationals drafted him in 2010. He was hitting 500 foot home runs at 15 and throwing 96 MPH at 16.
Bryce was so good he graduated high school early and dominated JUCO in what should have been his senior year. He was the Nationals reward for a 59-103 campaign in 2009. From the moment he was drafted, Bryce was the face of the franchise.
Despite being a very young player, Harper raced through the Minor Leagues. By the time he was 19, Bryce was a big leaguer. Scouts were calling him a sure fire superstar. I remember getting an autograph around this time from him. He was hurt at the time, but it was easy to see there was something special about the kid. Bryce had the charisma and aura MLB marketing loves.
Of course, Bryce had to produce at the big league level to live up to all that hype. Fans were quick to point this out. Like every mega prospect, he was labeled as overhyped. His brash personality also made him a target. When he walked up to the plate for his MLB debut in LA, he was booed. Not many teenagers who are realizing a lifelong dream are booed while doing so, but Bryce was different. Even in his scouting report, his cocky demeanor was noted.
Despite all the pressure and hate, Bryce thrived as a 19 year old in the big leagues. He posted a 5.2 WAR season, and won Rookie of the Year. Bryce also showed off his brash personality, most famously with the “that’s a clown question bro” retort when a reporter asked him what his favorite beer was.
While Bryce was a great player with the Nats, it often felt like we were just a stepping stone for him. There were always rumors of Bryce to the Yankees, even years before his free agency. He always downplayed them, but Nats fans always knew he was going to hit free agency. It was why he never got the same love Ryan Zimmerman did despite being a better player.
The highlight of Harper’s career was his magical MVP 2015 season which was the greatest in team history. He hit .330 with a staggering 1.109 OPS that year. Most Nationals hitters were having down years in 2015, but Bryce tried his best to singlehandedly drag that team to the playoffs.
Despite infamously leaving right before the Nats 2019 World Series triumph, Bryce was always a playoff performer. He dominated Hunter Strickland so much, the righty plunked him years later, leading to a fight. While Bryce didn’t hit as well in the playoffs for the Nats as he has for the Phillies, he had a knack for hitting towering home runs in October.
After Bryce left for Philly, he became public enemy number 1. While the Nats winning a World Series right after he left was a humiliation for Bryce, he has lead the Phillies back to relevance. Before Bryce came to Philly, they had been bad for close to a decade. Since he has come, Harper has lead them to a World Series, a division title and 2 NLCS series. He has also won an MVP in Philly.
Bryce Harper has lived up to the hype. He is going to be a first ballot hall of famer, and a legend, just in Philly, not DC. Hopefully as time passes, Nationals fans will appreciate Harper’s time in DC more. He and Stephen Strasburg were the guys who put the Nats on the national map.
The kid who was hitting 500 foot home runs and being compared to all time greats at 16 was not overhyped. With all the pressure around him since he was a child, it is a testament to Harper’s greatness that he proved the scouts right. He will always be a complicated figure in DC, but he will always have my respect, even if he doesn’t have my love.