The High School Phenom

If you haven't read Tom Verducci's Sports Illustrated article on Bryce Harper. I not only suggest it but implore you to read about this kid. Here's a little question for you baseball buffs: Who holds the record for longest home run at Tropicana Field? Was it Carlos Pena? Nope, guess again. The Crime Dog Fred McGriff? Nope...I'll give you a hint he's not in the MLB...Yep you guessed it. This 16 yr old phenom holds the record for longest home run. Had it not hit the back wall at "The Trop" it would have been farther than 502 feet but that was more than 30 feet farther than ANYONE else.

For anyone that hasn't watched ESPN or checked mlbtraderumors.com in the last 2 weeks Bryce Harper has decided to forego his Junior and Senior year of High School. Normally I would completely disagree with this decision but his case is different. He isn't just some dumbass that only knows 'ball and bat make fun,' he is a straight A student and has devised a plan to achieve his GED this summer and go to Junior college as a 17 year old. This would enable him to enter next years draft.

He has made up his mind that he wants to play professional baseball, and not only play baseball but become the best ever. I have been watching video after video on this kid and being a former hitting instructor and catching coach this is what I've seen. Short, compact stroke with unmatched power. This swing is for real and his raw power is nothing short of Josh Hamilton and Mickey Mantle just to throw a couple names out there.

Did I mention he is a catcher? A position very near and dear to my heart. This kid has an absolute heat seeking missile for a right arm and is above average on the other aspects of his defensive game. What does this mean you ask? All the hype that surrounded Matt Wieters a few short weeks ago will seem like a Rick Astley concert.

Unlike Steven Strasburg whom I think is going to try to hold out for a much larger contract than he's worth ultimately proving to be detrimental to his development, as Larry Lucchino pointed out in the Globe on Tuesday, Bryce Harper has the tools and isn't inevitably going to need surgery for overuse of his arm like SS is within 2 years in pro ball. Of course if things keep up the way they're going they'll be battery mates within 3 years in Washington and could prove to be the catalyst that Washington needs to turn their struggling franchise around.

Stay Tuned

Ryan