9781422269824

BALLPARK GREATS PRO BASEBALL’S BEST PLAYERS

BRYCE HARPER

BALLPARK GREATS PRO BASEBALL’S BEST PLAYERS

Aaron Judge Bryce Harper Shohei Ohtani

Christian Yelich Justin Verlander Max Scherzer Mike Trout Nolan Arenado

BALLPARK GREATS PRO BASEBALL’S BEST PLAYERS

BRYCE HARPER

JEREMY PIKE

MASON CREST MIAMI

Mason Crest PO Box 221876 Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4838-6 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4836-2 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-6982-4

Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Luke Production: Crafted Content, LLC (www.craftedcontentllc.com)

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Greatest Moments . . . . . . 7 Chapter 2: The Road to the Top . . . 21 Chapter 3: On the DIAMOND . . . . . . 35 Chapter 4: Words Count . . . . . . . . 49 Chapter 5: Off the DIAMOND . . . . . . 61

Series Glossary of Key Terms . . . 72 Further Reading & Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Author Biography & Credits . . . . 79

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text, while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

ascended: went up or climbed

glamorous: attractive or appealing in an exciting way

surpassed: exceeded

6

Chapter 1

Greatest Moments It was apparent from an early age that Bryce Harper was destined for greatness. Take his phenomenal freshman season for Las Vegas High School, where he hit 11 home runs (HR), stole 36 bases, and had 67 RBI to go with a .590 batting average over 39 games, or when he played for the 16U National Team for USA Baseball in the Pan American Championships, where he hit four home runs and had 16 RBI in eight games with a .571 batting average. Inarguably, Harper dominated at a young age. Harper quickly cemented himself as one of the top prospects in the US while he was in high school, so much so that he dropped out of high school and enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada with his General Education Degree (GED) so he could be eligible to enter the MLB draft in 2010 rather than 2011. It was a risk, but it paid off as the Washington Nationals selected him first overall that season. Since then, Harper has been one of the best players in Major League Baseball (MLB). He earned the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year award and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the National League (NL) twice, once in 2015 and again in 2021. In addition, he appeared in seven All-Star Games through his first 11 seasons in the majors. 7

Harper made his debut at 19 years old and turned 20 during his rookie season. He is the youngest winner of the Rookie of the Year Award, whereas the average age of the Rookie of the Year is about 23 years old. At the end of the 2022 season, he had played 11 seasons in the league and only turned 30 in October 2022. Harper’s early success with the Nationals established him as a star, which made his potential free agency after the 2018 season one of the hottest topics in MLB circles. However, with Washington struggling, it became apparent that Harper would leave the team that drafted him in 2010. While all the notable franchises made runs to get him, it was a team in the same division as the Nationals that he signed with, the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract that was the biggest contract signed in MLB history at the time. Five other contracts have since surpassed it, but it was a monumental deal then and still is today. However, in a day and age in MLB where big contracts are necessary for superstars, the Phillies are probably glad to have done it.

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Bryce Harper

Greatest Career Moments

Here are eight of the greatest and most

iconic moments in Bryce Harper’s career so far

9

Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

Golden Spikes Sports Illustrated put Harper on its cover when he was 16, calling him the most exciting prospect in sports since Lebron James. At 17, Harper left high school after junior year with a GED, making him eligible for the next year’s draft. In the meantime, he decided to terrorize the pitchers in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for one season. Harper signed on to attend the College of Southern Nevada, where he continued to thrive under intense scrutiny. In his season with the Coyotes, he drove in 98 runs in 66 games, with 31 HRs. The previous school record for HRs was 12. After continuing to crush the ball in the NJCAA playoffs, Harper was named the 2010 Golden Spikes award winner, an honor given to the best amateur

player in the country. So, it was no surprise later that year when Washington took Harper with the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Harper hits a HR while playing for Southern Nevada in 2010.

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Bryce Harper

MLB Debut While Harper did not make the Opening Day roster to start the 2012 MLB season with the Nationals, it did not take long before he ascended to the big leagues. It only took 21 games into the season for the Nationals to call Harper up for his first appearance in the majors. Harper had a ground out and a fly out in his first two at-bats, but he got his first career hit by drilling a double over the center fielder’s head that dropped just in front of the center field wall. Harper even showed off his arm strength on a throw to home later in the game that would have been an out if the catcher had held on.

While the Nationals would fall in extra innings that day, Harper also added his first career RBI on an eighth-inning sacrifice fly to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Harper flashes both his bat and arm in his 2012 MLB debut.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

NL Rookie of the Year Harper’s debut was a sign of things to come. He would play a total of 139 games with the Nationals in 2012, and his performance resulted in him being named the youngest Rookie of the Year winner in MLB history. He hit .270 in 597 plate appearances while hitting 22 home runs, 26 doubles, and scoring 98 runs while collecting 59 RBI and stealing 18 bases. Harper’s first stolen base might be one of his most iconic, at least during his rookie season. During a May 6 th game against Philadelphia, Harper stole home from third after Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels attempted to pick off the runner at first base.

Harper beat Wade

Miley of the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named to his first All-Star Game.

Harper steals home to win an inning-long battle against pitcher Cole Hamels in 2012.

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Bryce Harper

2015 National League MVP Harper had a lot to live up to following his stellar rookie season, but just three years later, he staked a claim to being one of the best players in MLB. In 2015, he posted a .330 batting average, by far a career-high that he will likely not eclipse. In addition, Harper led the National League with 118 runs scored and 42 home runs, both also career-highs. He also had a then-career-high 99 RBI and 38 doubles as well. Harper also walked 124 times to lead the NL, a number more than double his previous career-high in 2013. There were historical moments, such as hitting three homers in the same game (and doing it on his first three at-bats in that game) or scoring four runs (and an RBI) without

recording an official at-bat due to walking in all four plate appearances. All that (and more) led to Harper being the unanimous choice as the NL Most Valuable Player for 2015.

Harper hits three homers in his first three at-bats versus Miami, demonstrating the form that made him the 2015 NL MVP.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

Return to Washington

In 2019, Harper and the Phillies took an early season road trip to play the Washington Nationals, the team that drafted Harper. Predictably, Harper was serenaded by both boos and applause from the Nationals faithful when he stepped to the plate in the first inning. When he struck out, the crowd exploded. The same happened when he struck out again in the third. Harper hit a run-scoring double in the fifth, which was met largely by a chorus of cheers from the crowd. When he knocked in another run in the sixth with a single, the cheers were just as loud. One could be forgiven for thinking the game was in Philly by that point. In the top of the eighth, Harper put the cherry on top of his return performance. He stepped to the plate with the

Phillies already leading 6-2 and with a runner on first with one out. He worked the count to 2-2 and then crushed the next pitch into the second deck in right field to make it 8-2. Harper rounded the bases as the fans left in the stands cheered.

Harper’s initial return to Washington did not lack drama.

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Bryce Harper

1000 th Career Hit and 200 th Career Home Run Hitting 200 home runs is a huge milestone for MLB sluggers. While reaching the 1,000-hit mark may not be as glamorous (more than 1,000 players have recorded at least 1,000 hits), accomplishing both feats with the same swing had never been done before Harper pulled it off. Harper joined the Philadelphia Phillies as a big-money free agent before the start of the 2019 season, and he wasted no time making history in his new uniform. In an early July game against the Atlanta Braves, Harper came up to bat with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the Phillies trailing 3-0. The first pitch from Braves pitcher Bryse Wilson was just above knee-high and on the outer half of the plate. Harper reached out and got enough on the ball to just clear

the left field wall. While the Phillies went on to lose, Harper had done something no one had before, collecting hit number 1,000 with HR 200.

Harper collects his 1,000 th hit and 200 th homer with one swing of the bat.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

2021 National League MVP Six years after Harper won the National League Most Valuable Player, Harper was at the podium again. In 2021, he posted a batting average of .309 (his third season with an average above .300), scored 101 runs, hit 35 homers (second-highest season of his career), had 84 RBI, and led all of MLB with 42 doubles, another career-high. Harper led the National League in slugging percentage, On-Base Plus Slugging (OBPS), the adjusted OBPS (OBPS+), and runs created over the year. Not only were his basic numbers stellar, but the advanced statistics bore out just how good of a season he had. Hampered by injuries, Harper had a slow start to the season and missed the All-Star Game. However, after the All-Star break, Harper went on a tear, posting

a .338 batting average, and hitting 20 of his 35 home runs, 28 doubles, and 50 RBI. He also led MLB with 49 extra-base hits in the second half, all of which propelled him to the MVP win.

Harper was emotional after being named 2021 NL MVP.

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Bryce Harper