Read Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan’s opinions.
I first read about Bryce Harper about a month ago while reading about the MLB Draft. I was reading about heralded phenom Stephen Strasburg, and I ended up being more fascinated with Harper.
Before I brief you on Harper, check out this highlight video. He puts on quite an exhibition at Tropicana Field during a home run derby event for high school kids. Aluminum bat or not, it’s quite impressive.
Harper is a 16-year-old who just finished his sophomore year of high school at Las Vegas High School. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this month. As a freshman, he hit .590 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI’s in just 38 games. As a sophomore, he did not exactly experience a sophomore slump, hitting .626 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI’s. While his main position is catcher, he can play other positions as well.
Harper, in a controversial decision, is planning on earning his GED at 16-years of age and enrolling in the College of Southern Nevada, a move that will make him eligible for the 2010 major league draft, where he will likely be the #1 overall pick. If the Washington Nationals continue on their current pace, they will be in line to draft Harper one year after drafting Strasburg. Look out National League East… for the next 15 years!
There’s no disputing his talent. He’s the real deal by all accounts. But, right now he’s only 16. At the time of the draft next year, he will be 17.
Let’s pretend that Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan are MLB general managers in 2010. They are struggling with whether or not to draft Harper.
Sports Geek is in favor of drafting and signing Harper, believing he is a special talent. It is a no-brainer.
Bleacher Fan is against signing Harper. For Bleacher Fan, there is too many unknowns when drafting a guy so young – someone who would be the equivalent of a high school junior.
Hope everyone enjoys this debate. Harper, despite the SI cover, has not exactly taken the baseball world by storm like Strasburg has, though you can bet that baseball scouts are really familiar with him!
Sports Geek, Bleacher Fan… you are on the clock.
I say go ahead and draft the kid. As an MLB GM you have to take the best player at the time in the early rounds of the draft. Drafting is very much an in-exact science for a MLB GM. There are like 500,000 kids in the baseball draft and it lasts 3 months. In fact, I think Bleacher Fan was once drafted by the Royals, but quit when he found out he would have to wear tight clothing. A lot of the kids in the first rounds never make the majors and ones that grow up to be stars get drafted in the 100th round. There is absolutely no reason to believe he is going to be with the Nats next year. It takes years and years for baseball talent to develop. I don’t think it is uncommon for kids to get drafted coming out of high school. Heck, there are scouts all the time down in the Dominican looking at talent, probably as young as 14. Creepy. MLB teams will do whatever it takes to gain the competitive advantage in that regard. He needs to face college pitching, A pitching, AA pitching, and finally AAA pitching before he ever gets to the majors. At each level they throw harder and with more movement on the ball. Plus, there is more and more strategy at every level he needs to learn. Also, he will need to develop his skills behind the plate or wherever they decide to place him. In baseball, unlike the NBA and the NFL, there is no pressure for the highly drafted prospect to produce immediately. Thus, rushing talent to the majors and risking ruining it with the temptations of broads, booze and cars. When was the last time we had a MLB player that everyone said “He should have stayed in college another year”. It just doesn’t happen.
The Nats should draft him, what would it hurt?
Mr. Doots, you’re going to like my post. It goes up in a few. I have some research you’ll probably find interesting.