Nats likely to take Harper with No. 1 pick

[Ozzie Ball]

With baseball's First-Year Player Draft still almost two months away, the perception in some circles around the game is the Nationals won't have as easy a choice with the No. 1 pick this season as they did last year, when they took right-hander Stephen Strasburg first overall.

 

That's not how the Nationals are approaching it.

 

Barring an injury or a drastic change, the Nationals will likely take 17-year-old catcher Bryce Harper with the first pick in the June Draft. According to a source familiar with the situation, they see Harper as being head and shoulders above anyone else in the 2010 draft class and believe he could reach the majors within 2 1/2 years.

 

Harper, who has been called "the LeBron James of baseball," completed his GED in December 2009 so he could play junior-college baseball and be eligible for the 2010 draft, rather than finish high school. He is currently playing at the College of Southern Nevada, where he is batting .422 with a .516 on-base percentage, .891 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 42 RBI in 39 games.

http://masnsports.com/the_goessling_game/2...-no-1-pick.html

 

Hopefully this happens and Harper's talent wins out over the money it will take to sign him.

[Jordan4life_2007]

If you're gonna suck, it's better to REALLY suck.

[SoxAce]

Most of us knew this 2 years ago.

[Marky Mark]

Yeah, but what they don't tell you is that Bryce leads the team with 3 balks as a pitcher. That should probably drop him down to the 6th or 7th round of the draft. Simply unacceptable.

[Rowand44]

If you're gonna suck, it's better to REALLY suck.

Indeed. If you have to build up a franchise, aren't too many better starting blocks than Harper and Strasburg.

[Brian]

Is Harper projected to be an MLB catcher? Will he switch positions?

Edited April 16, 2010 by Brian

[knightni]

They'll probably draft him as a catcher and see what he does best in the rookie leagues.

[Balta1701]

Some writeup on Harper from BP. This paragraph caught my Eye.

The Makeup: This should not be underrated. It's impossible to find any talent evaluator who isn't blown away by Harper's ability on the field, but it's equally difficult to find one who doesn't genuinely dislike the kid. One scout called him among the worst amateur players he's ever seen from a makeup standpoint, with top-of-the-scale arrogance, a disturbingly large sense of entitlement, and on-field behavior that includes taunting opponents. "He's just a bad, bad guy," said one front-office official. "He's basically the anti-Joe Mauer." How this plays into the negotiation or future evaluation is yet to be determined, as history has shown us that the bigger talent a player is, the more makeup issues teams will deal with. Bench players can't afford to be problems, but plenty of teams happily put up with difficult superstars.

[NorthSideSox72]

Some writeup on Harper from BP. This paragraph caught my Eye.

The problem with guys like that isn't, usually, how they act as stars. As they say, if he performs, some or all teams are willing to put up with it. The problem is that hugely talented players that already, at 17 or 18, have that elevated a sense of entitlement, are much more apt to not put in the work, not learn, and not be a student of the game. And that means they are more likely to not reach their potential. This becomes especially important at catcher, by far the most complex position in the game, and the one who needs to most often deal with teammate personalities.

 

So in Harper, you are looking at a player with an enourmously high ceiling, but also a very real chance of failure. Showing once again that there is no such thing as a can't-miss prospect.

 

[southsider2k5]

Some writeup on Harper from BP. This paragraph caught my Eye.

 

When you have been told you are the greatest all of your life, eventually you start to believe it.

[bigruss]

When you have been told you are the greatest all of your life, eventually you start to believe it.

cough Lebron cough

 

If I had a kid that talented, I would tell him that I am incredibly proud of how far he has come, but he hast proved anything yet.

[DukeNukeEm]

17 year olds are douchebags, this isn't really news.

[southsider2k5]

17 year olds are douchebags, this isn't really news.

 

So what does it tell you when one stands out that much to the people who scout testosterone laden stars for a living?

[Quin]

17 year olds are douchebags, this isn't really news.

 

Thanks, the douchebag in question is three days older than me <_ .>

[Balta1701]

So what does it tell you when one stands out that much to the people who scout testosterone laden stars for a living?

That you're taking a chance when you give him $15 million that in a few years there might be a video of him striking out and then flinging his bat at an umpire?

[knightni]

17 year olds are douchebags, this isn't really news.

Yeah, the 17 y/o OL headed to ND who did a header over a Spring Break hotel room balcony railing - while drunk - is another example.

[knightni]

That you're taking a chance when you give him $15 million that in a few years there might be a video of him striking out and then flinging his bat at an umpire?

Visit my video on YouTube of that.

[gatnom]

Honestly, I kind of hope the kid fails. From the little I've read about him, he just comes off as a very unlikable guy, and it seems the scouts agree with me.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Honestly, I kind of hope the kid fails. From the little I've read about him, he just comes off as a very unlikable guy, and it seems the scouts agree with me.

 

You wouldn't say that if we had a shot at him. Talent >>> personality

[Balta1701]

You wouldn't say that if we had a shot at him. Talent >>> personality

Personality can change too. Jenks, Pierzynski...put them in the wrong situation, versus the right situation.

[maki]

As the legend grows...

 

Harper goes 6-6 with 4 HRs, staving off elimination for CSN in the JuCo World Series. The day before he hit for the cycle.

 

Yeah, yeah, the score was 25-11 and winds were blowing out at an estimated 45 mph.

 

Harper Weekend Recap

[Balta1701]

Scott Boras is already trying to tell the Nats not to keep him at catcher.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Harper was ejected from a game at the JUCO world series yesterday for arguing a strike call. Juco rules state that if a player is ejected twice during a season, he's suspended for two games. Since Harper was ejected earlier this year, he sits two games, and his juco career might be over.

[BearSox]

If the Nats were smart, they'd draft Harper but have no intention of signing him. His bust factor is ridiculously high, IMO, and with the amount of money he wants, they might be better off waiting till next year, get their pick back (now, would they get the no. 1 or no. 2 pick next year?), and be able to pick the player they want.

 

From what I've seen, heard, and read about Harper, he will become a MLB player, but I doubt he becomes a superstar. I forgot where I read the comparison, but Josh Hamilton is a really good comparison. I envision something similar to Hamilton's 08 for Harper except more K's, more power, less average, and more of a pull hitter. Kind of like if Ryan Howard and Josh Hamilton had a son.

[BearSox]

Harper was ejected from a game at the JUCO world series yesterday for arguing a strike call. Juco rules state that if a player is ejected twice during a season, he's suspended for two games. Since Harper was ejected earlier this year, he sits two games, and his juco career might be over.

Thats a gay rule. The ump probably deserved it.