From the moment that Bryce Harper was drafted by the Washington Nationals, expectations were high for the first overall pick. On this day four years ago, Harper made his much anticipated debut.
Bryce Harper was a phenom even before he was drafted by the Washington Nationals. He infanously got his GED so that he could enroll at a junior college to play baseball, as the high school game just did not challenge him enough. At age 17, he had the most home runs and RBI of any junior college player, and despite questions about his attitude, was drafted first overall in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft.
From that point, the question of when Harper would debut in the majors began to be asked. He spent the rest of that year in the Gulf Coast League, before climbing to AA by the end of 2011. A brief sojourn in AAA to start the 2012 season, and an injury to Ryan Zimmerman later, and Harper was called up to the majors.
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It was on this day four years ago that the 19 year old Harper made his debut as the Nationals faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Batting seventh and playing in left field in place of the injured Michael Morse, Harper made his presence felt almost immediately. He doubled in the seventh inning for his first major league hit, and in the ninth inning, hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Nationals a short lived lead. The Dodgers would end up winning the game as the Washington bullpen imploded, but Harper’s arrival minimized the sting of that defeat.
That debut set the stage for Harper’s rookie campaign. He produced a .270/.340/.477 batting line with 22 home runs and 18 stolen basses, winning the Rookie of the Year award and being named to the All-Star team. In just four short years, Harper has proven himself to be one of the best players in baseball, a bright young talent who should only get better as he approaches his prime.
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With Bryce Harper, we may well be watching the career of one of the best players of our time play out before us. On this day four years ago, as a 19 year old, Harper announced that he was ready for the majors, and has not looked back since.