[Rocketfan]

have no idea if there's a difference in pressure between having every baseball wonk following you around at age 16 and having every sports fan in the country learn your name, but I suppose Bryce Harper will soon be able to tell us.

Following in its grand tradition of predicting can't miss future superstars like Schea Cotton and Tamir Goodman, Sports Illustrated is using the cover of this week's magazine to tout the 16-year-old Las Vegas resident as "the most exciting prodigy since LeBron."

Writes SI's Tom Verducci:

"Still only 16, Harper stands 6'3", weighs 205 pounds, has faster bat speed than Mark McGwire in his prime and runs so fast that he scored on wild pitches six times this season from second base. As a catcher he picks off runners from his knees, and when he pitches, he throws a fastball that has been clocked at 96 mph.

"When James was 16, he was a high school sophomore with an NBA game and a body to match. Harper has been compared to Justin Upton(notes), Alex Rodriguez(notes) and Ken Griffey Jr.(notes), each a freakishly advanced high school player and each the top overall pick of his draft. But Harper, say the baseball men who are paid to make such assessments, has the ability as a sophomore that the aforementioned trio had as seniors."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_le ... mlb,167844

[adam42381]

have no idea if there's a difference in pressure between having every baseball wonk following you around at age 16 and having every sports fan in the country learn your name, but I suppose Bryce Harper will soon be able to tell us.

Following in its grand tradition of predicting can't miss future superstars like Schea Cotton and Tamir Goodman, Sports Illustrated is using the cover of this week's magazine to tout the 16-year-old Las Vegas resident as "the most exciting prodigy since LeBron."

Writes SI's Tom Verducci:

"Still only 16, Harper stands 6'3", weighs 205 pounds, has faster bat speed than Mark McGwire in his prime and runs so fast that he scored on wild pitches six times this season from second base. As a catcher he picks off runners from his knees, and when he pitches, he throws a fastball that has been clocked at 96 mph.

"When James was 16, he was a high school sophomore with an NBA game and a body to match. Harper has been compared to Justin Upton(notes), Alex Rodriguez(notes) and Ken Griffey Jr.(notes), each a freakishly advanced high school player and each the top overall pick of his draft. But Harper, say the baseball men who are paid to make such assessments, has the ability as a sophomore that the aforementioned trio had as seniors."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_le ... mlb,167844

That kid was hitting absolute bombs in the YouTube video at the bottom of the link you posted. 502 feet is a LONG way for anyone. I don't care if he is using a metal bat or not, he's a sophomore in high school.

[Ed Dantes]

Wow, just wow... I think of the three major sports though, it's the hardest to be 'the next big thing' in baseball. In football, a 16-year-old can look forward to playing for a big time college first (and get a small taste of fame, and how to deal with it), the same sort of thing in basketball... In baseball though, you get drafted in the first round and have to spend the next three years of your life playing in cow towns like Lynchburg.

[FlamesBeBallin]

Being called the "chosen one" on SI worked out well for Lebron, but baseball is completely different. I hope this kid is the next prodigy though. Do you guys see him playing catcher or pitching though?? because he is throwing mid 90's.

[adam42381]

Being called the "chosen one" on SI worked out well for Lebron, but baseball is completely different. I hope this kid is the next prodigy though. Do you guys see him playing catcher or pitching though?? because he is throwing mid 90's.

I don't see him pitching with the speed and power he's got. Looks like a 5 tool guy as a sophomore.

[ToTheLeft]

I don't think he will catch, either. That's a quick way to kill his legs. I say move him to the OF.

[DeathCab4LU]

Bryce Harper is a beast

[FlamesBeBallin]

Check this kid out. Just played him in the playoffs for high school baseball. He's another 5 tool player.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="

name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Ed Dantes]

I don't think he will catch, either. That's a quick way to kill his legs. I say move him to the OF.

Yeah, based on his speed I can see him in center field.

[g-webb1994]

Sorry, I smell another Brien Taylor or Todd Van Poppel type of bust here.

[Hold My Own]

This kid obviously has talent...however this might have been the kiss of death and sealed his fate


Ty Tyron (sp?) anyone? That was ESPN but none the less same idea

[Ed Dantes]

With Todd Van Poppel (and also other former uber-prospects like Ben McDonald and David Clyde), they were all rushed to the big leagues, and promptly flamed out. I think teams take a more cautious approach these days, because they are committing tens of millions of dollars to them, before they throw a pitch. As I've said before, these guys aren't players, they're investments. Look at how Tampa Bay is handling David Price; by all accounts, he was major league ready at the beginning of this year, but they held him back because they didn't want to tire his arm out at an early age (a la Mark Prior).

Of course, all those were pitchers. you can probably find some hitters, too (Shawn Abner, Matt Bush)... but I'd expect teams to keep a very tight leash on this kid when he goes pro.

In two years. He's not eligible to go pro in two years.... that's sad that he's that young and that good.

[Sly Fox]

Forgive me for being surprised to see David Clyde dropped into a FlameFans thread. Nicely done, Ed. But nearly all comparisons made have been of pitchers other than those in original SI story. You are comparing apples to oranges. The Ty Tryon comparison might be a better reference.

[ToTheLeft]

Look at how Tampa Bay is handling David Price; by all accounts, he was major league ready at the beginning of this year, but they held him back because they didn't want to tire his arm out at an early age (a la Mark Prior).

I think Price is being handled differently because he still needs some work. He's not that young (He's going to be 24 by the time the season is over), but he also was kind of a one trick pony. They were still trying to work on command and adding a good changeup.

[Ed Dantes]

As a post-script to this conversation...

Keith Law announced what had been previously rumored:

Bryce Harper (the aforementioned 16-year-old phenom) is going to take his GED, enroll in a community college, and be eligible for the 2010 draft.

If things go according to plan... One day, we could see him and Stephen Strasburg don a Washington Nationals uniform.

(in front of 600 fans)

[givemethemic]

For our triangle memebers, Bryce is playing this week here in Cary at the USA Baseball Complex for the u18 team... I had the chance to interview both him and his father today. I walked away even more impressed with him and the family. I have said all along that this is a good move. Bryce is about as mature of a teenager that there is...

[Rocketfan]

For our triangle memebers, Bryce is playing this week here in Cary at the USA Baseball Complex for the u18 team... I had the chance to interview both him and his father today. I walked away even more impressed with him and the family. I have said all along that this is a good move. Bryce is about as mature of a teenager that there is...

I hope you were also smart enough to score an autograph....

[givemethemic]

You know media can't get autographs

[Schfourteenteen]

Heard hes dropping out of HS to get his GED so he can be eligible for the next draft.