The Warrior

Paul O'Neill is currently known as "The Warrior" but I'm giving that name to young phenom Bryce Harper. He plays the game hard and his warrior spirit never quits. As a nineteen year old rookie Harper had the courage to attempt to steal home off of All Star left handed pitcher Cole Hamels. The craziest part of that story is the fact that he was successful. There are plenty of guys who play the game hard, but when you combine that with once in a lifetime talent, you understand how 'phenom' comes from the word phenomenal.

I don't think it was a coincidence that the Nationals made their first playoff appearance ever the same year Harper joined the team. The now twenty year old outfielder brings his passion for the game to the park everyday. He plays the same way that Pete Rose did during his time; giving 110% and leading by example. Whether its running down a fly ball in the gap or beating out an infield single, Harper plays the game on a different level.

Harper is officially 23 games into his sophomore season and there is not a single sign of a slump. He has a beyond impressive .373 batting average and an even more impressive .453 on base percentage. That shows that about 8% of his plate appearances result in a walk. For a twenty year old hitting everything in the ballpark that is a great combination of incredible patience and plate vision. Also displaying tremendous power in the form of 9 home runs Harper is separating himself from the competition and as an elite player.

Reiterating the passion and the hustle Harper plays with can not only be seen in the game, but in his statistics. he has coming up in clutch situations by collecting 18 RBIs on the young season and legging out 5 doubles and 1 triple. You won't ever see Harper jogging into second, if there is even the slightest possibility he can get that extra base he will be running as hard as he can.

Being only twenty years old, Harper is displaying talent beyond his years. Harper's rookie season was better than Ken Griffey Jr., who was also nineteen when he debuted and Harper's sophomore season is on track to be better than Griffey Jr.'s as well. Now that he has established himself, now that he has learned the pitchers in the league, now that he is comfortable, and now that he knows he is here to stay there is no limit on Bryce Harper's success. Come the end of the season it wouldn't be obscured to call him the youngest MVP ever. The Warrior may be deemed with the title Most Valuable Player after leading his troops to a World Series victory.

Bryce Harper and Albert Pujols

Bryce Harper is the most hyped prospect possibly of all time. He is just 19 years old. We all expected him to be good, but not this good. Harper has played in 8 games at the Major League level and has already reached super star status in the Washington DC area. In 28 at bats Harper has 8 hits and 3 RBI's. Harper has also drawn 5 walks and scored 3 runs. 5 doubles also are marked on Harper's baseball card, but probably the most significant event in his young career was an eventful steal of home. The link to the video is the following: HARPER'S STEAL.

Lets go from a 19 year old rookie outfielder to a 32 year old veteran first baseman. Albert Pujols hit his first home run of the season yesterday. After 112 at bats Pujols has 7 RBI's and just 22 hits. Accompany that with 10 runs scored and .196/.237/.295 slash line. Alex Rodriguez a hitter notorious for hitting home runs commented on the situation stating that once Pujols hits one home run he will then hit 5 or 6 more soon after. Home runs come in clusters. The home run is the following link: PUJOLS' HOMER

Vote in the poll on the side of this post. Who will hit more home runs this year: Harper or Pujols.

Matt Moore and Bryce Harper

Matt Moore and Bryce Harper are set to take the field on their first full season in the MLB this year. They are the two most hyped up prospects in baseball and some say Harper is the most talked about all time.

Matt Moore was born on June 18, 1989 making him 22 years old when he starts the season. He will be among some of the youngest players in baseball, but he is projected to be better than most the other pitchers. The Rays have been slowly building up the amount of innings he pitches every year, so he won't burn out in September. This was a very smart move, because fatigue is something we see in a lot of young pitchers in their first  few season. In 2011 he pitched 164 innings in AA, AAA, and The MLB. In all three of the leagues he pitched in during 2011 his ERA didn't surpass 3.00.  Moore is projected to have around a 3.40 ERA for The Rays in 2012 and he will be able to pitch a full season due to The Rays'  great farm system.  

Bryce Harper is probably the most talked about prospect in a long time if not ever. Scouts are comparing him to Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez. I believe that is great company to be with. Although Harper is a great ball player and athlete there is controversy sounding him. He finished school early to be able to pursue his professional baseball career. One time when Harper hit a home run, while rounding first base he blew a kiss to the pitcher. Just tip you cap and jog around the bases. Harper was born on October 16, 1992. He will be 19 when he reaches the major leagues just like Rodriguez, Griffey and Mantle. Harper will not be on the opening day roster, but he will make the trip to Washington near the end of April. This tactic used by the Nationals is to push back his eligibility for arbitration and free agency one more year. The San Francisco Giants made this mistake With Tim Lincecum and had to pay up big time.

The average age of a baseball player is getting younger, but there will always be an established veteran in the game. Without prospects baseball would die out. The constant replenishment of talent is necessary to keep the game moving to the future. In 15 years from now Bryce Harper or Matt Moore may be giving advice to one of your friends, children, or someone you know. You can never know.