The Washington Nationals 22-year-old phenom outfielder Bryce Harper is off to the best start of his young major league career. His hot start is producing wins for the Nationals and giving him a spot on top of most offensive statistical lists. Injuries slowed him down during his first couple seasons, but with being healthy, Harper feels that this is just the beginning to a very productive year.
While Harper hasn't yet come close to playing a full season, the youngster now feels that the time is right to make a giant step forward in his game. Harper is the nucleus that the Nationals have tried to build around and the future leader of the team. Athlon Sports describes the pressure that Harper has felt since he made his way to D.C.:
"The hype surrounding Bryce Harper has been snowballing since 2009 when the words "Chosen One" were plastered next to his wiry, 16-year-old frame on the cover of Sports Illustrated."
Even with such unprecedented hype, Harper feels that he can and will surpass what he has done and what people expect of him.
Harper explained to the Washington Post why he feels people have misunderstood his time so far in Major League Baseball:
"This is what I was like in high school and college. That's what people don't understand. I was healthy. Staying healthy is what I need to do. This is the type of player I need to be and the type of player I want to be. Everybody talks about how I'm doing this different or I'm doing that different. There's nothing different. It's staying healthy and staying in the lineup. Truly."
With the Nationals already being a trendy pick to make (and possibly win) the World Series, this was the perfect year for Harper to break out and become the star everyone including himself knew he could be.
Do you think Harper has matured into leading the Nationals to the postseason? How do you think Harper will do with a healthy full season under his belt? Tell us what you think below.
