He made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old. He was baseball’s No. 1 overall draft pick at 17. By the time he was 19 he had already claimed a starting spot in NL East-winning Washington’s outfield, while anchoring its lineup (with 22 home runs—still a career-high) as well. He was even selected to a pair of All-Star games (2012 and 2013) before he could legally celebrate the honor with a drink.
Yet Bryce Harper hasn’t yet lived up to the immense expectations those early achievements have bestowed on him.
Maybe this season, where he’s already off to a hot start, will be his launching pad.
On Wednesday Harper, still only 22 years old, became the youngest player in the last 45 years to a home run three times in a game in Washington’s 7–5 win over Miami—and the blasts weren’t short either. The 6-foot-3 lefty’s homers averaged 426 feet apiece.
They were a glimpse of what he can be.
