The Top 5 Reasons to Get on Board With Bryce Harper in 2016

The Top 5 Reasons to Get on Board With Bryce Harper in 2016

                                         (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Let me preface this by saying I am pro-Bryce Harper, and I wanted to get this out there in reaction to last Thursday's article. However, my opinion seems to contradict the more popular—and much more negative—opinion of him.  He’s a douchebag, he’s cocky, and he’s a disgrace to baseball.  The list goes on and on.  Regardless, he is one of the most exciting young players in the game today and is necessary for its growth.  Whether you are a fan of Bryce Harper or strongly dislike him, you have to respect the career he has put together in just four seasons.  That being said, no matter which side of the fence you may find yourself, these are, in my opinion, the five most convincing reasons you will find to get on board the Harper train in 2016.

5. He is still just a kid.

23 years old.  23 years old.  23 years old.

23 years old and already entering his FIFTH Major League season.  That’s insane.  Not to mention the 3 All-Star appearances, Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, and MVP trophy he’s collected since getting called up as a 19 year old.  Harper plays beyond his years, and seems to be anything but afraid to compete with the best of the best players in the world, let alone rise above them.  Like him or not, he is quickly becoming the face of the MLB and at just 23 years old he hasn’t even begun to peak.

4. His swing is a work of art.

Tune in to a Nationals game one time for me this season, even if it’s just to catch one of Harper’s at-bats and try your hardest not to be impressed.  You’ll fail.  Smooth, with an explosive lower body that rotates incredibly fast.  This helps him to produce possibly the most bat speed out of anyone. Seriously. The only one who might have quicker hands is Andrew McCutchen. Maybe. Harper is certainly not built like Miguel Cabrera or Giancarlo Stanton, but his fluid yet violent swing allows him to generate as much power as anyone in the game.

3. He is not the person everyone thinks he is.

Unlike how he often appears in the media, Harper is actually a good guy. According to those who are close to him, he is polite, generous, and doesn’t drink due to his Mormon religion.  Most importantly, he plays the game the way his father instructed him to do so, “to not take the game for granted.”  All of this has led Harper to possess a work ethic that rivals anyone in the league, translating energy off the field into his preparation in the gym.  What may fly under the radar to many people though is his acceptance of his abilities and limitations.  He does not try to be something that he is not.

2. His hustle is unparalleled.

You WON’T find Bryce Harper sauntering over to catch a fly ball only to have it fall five feet in front of him.  You WILL find him running full speed into a wall to catch a ball or completely lay out in the gap.  He plays the game right and leaves it all out on the field.  Whether it’s just his young instinct still inside him or his needing to prove himself even further, Harper puts forth a consistent effort.

1. He’s lived up to the hype.

This is the big one.  All throughout his teenage years Harper was being watched by many in the baseball world, and often dubbed the next MLB superstar.  Case and point, if he hasn’t done so already, he’s pretty damn close to being just that.  What often discourages people is seeing high draft picks fizzle out, especially first overall picks like Harper.  Needless to say he hasn’t shown any signs of fizzling out. Baseball has its next young superstar along with Mike Trout, and his ability to perform how everyone projected him to at the highest level, in just his early twenties, should be impressive to anyone.