Washington Nationals Promote Prospect Bryce Harper

by John Sickels on Apr 27, 2025 6:04 PM EDT

Mar. 3, 2012; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper against the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

The Washington Nationals placed third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list and have promoted super-prospect Bryce Harper from Triple-A Syracuse. Harper is expected to start in left field Saturday.

Harper was hitting .250/.333/.375 in 20 games for the Syracuse Chiefs, with nine walks and 14 strikeouts in 72 at-bats. He's hit just one home run, but while his statistics aren't spectacular at this stage, he's only 19 years old and is facing significantly older competition. He still has to be considered the top prospect in baseball, featuring enormous raw power, solid overall hitting skills, good feel for the strike zone, and a very strong throwing arm. He's been heating up lately and is 5-for-13 in his last five games with the home run, three walks, and just one strikeout.

So, what should we expect at this point? It would surprise no one if Harper initially struggles given his lack of high-level experience. On the other hand, he has a habit of impressing people at the right time and it also wouldn't surprise me if he gets off to a great start. The Nationals say that Harper might end up back in the minors once Zimmerman is healthy, which is exactly what you would expect them to say given the circumstances. It gives them an out if he has adjustment issues.

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Read More: Ryan Zimmerman (3B - WAS), Bryce Harper (LF - WAS), Washington Nationals

Comments

I already got tickets

To 5/1 and 5/2. Stubhub had them for $4 for Tuesday.

by ADLC on Apr 27, 2025 6:05 PM EDT reply actions

I'll probably be there Tuesday as well.

I think it’s a 2$ Tuesday with tickets up high for 2$.

Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.

by souldrummer on Apr 27, 2025 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm in 221 on the 1st.

Called my hookup and got them before people realized that was his home debut. I was at Wieters debut and that was electric, but I think Harper will be even bigger cause DC isn’t as beaten down as Baltimore.

by ADLC on Apr 27, 2025 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I was at the Strasburg debut

One of the highlights of my entertainment life.

Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.

by souldrummer on Apr 27, 2025 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions

He's going to struggle out of the gates

But still a pretty monumental day. The biggest in the prospect world since the twin debuts of Strasburg/Stanton in 2010.

by kyuss94 on Apr 27, 2025 6:35 PM EDT reply actions

Hope he impresses

Nat’s have really struggled in LF with Morse unavailable (something like a combined BA under .100?). With the love Davey Johnson was giving him in ST, he could in reality stick with the club even when Zimmerman comes off the DL.

Tomorrow’s game with the Dodgers will be must see TV (on the MLB network).

by RedHopeful on Apr 27, 2025 9:43 PM EDT reply actions

Bad idea

This will benefit nobody in the long run. Harper is as much of a can’t miss prospect as they come. This must be the Nationals attempt to see if they can possibly ruin him.

by huztler on Apr 27, 2025 10:14 PM EDT reply actions

If he's a purported 'can't miss' prospect..

Then what’s the issue?

by Matt0330 on Apr 30, 2025 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes.

Clearly the Nationals are sick of the hype, and trying to make Harper go away

by d_c_guy on May 2, 2025 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't get it

I don’t mean to imply that he can’t or won’t be a superstar, but he hasn’t dominated any level expect low A. Sure, he’s held his own, but the teenagers that have made it to the show have done so because they dominated every level they were at. Did Griffey scuffle at AAA? At AA? Did Arod? Hell, did Trout?

by walnut falcons on Apr 28, 2025 1:22 AM EDT reply actions

He blew up the AFL

And you can say it’s a hitter’s league, but Trout was on Harper’s team, and Trout stunk up the AFL.

by d_c_guy on May 2, 2025 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Trout also called up

he was tearing it in Triple-A, off to great start, so its not surprising…. cant wait to see both in Majors this year

also anyone mentioned Billy Hamilton is hitting hot bat in minors too? yesterday 3 steals…

before there was law, there were the Cowboys!!!

by orli on Apr 28, 2025 7:04 AM EDT reply actions

Remember Delmon Young People

Delmon Young blew away Harper in numbers in the minors at the same age. The only reason why Harper is so highly rated is his throwing arm and one 500 FT HR in BP with an Aluminum Bat.

by Bravesin07 on Apr 28, 2025 8:46 AM EDT reply actions

Young

It’s becoming pretty clear that character issues are what have helped derail Delmon. Harper’s also a year younger, level for level, than delmon was (Harper reached AA as an 18 year old), though Delmon did acquit himself well at 19 in AAA. Once you get beyond numbers, Harper really does blow Young away in terms of tools and makeup.

Delmon was a great, great prospect and was undone by his plate discipline and, it seems, character flaws. Harper, other than being a bit big for his britches, doesn’t really have those problems.

by GuyinNY on Apr 28, 2025 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Harper didn't play in High A due to the field

I know this because I met the director of operations in minor league baseball last year at the AA all star game. Also heard rumors about the field. They skipped him over because the outfield in Potomac was a swamp and the Nats feared that Harper would get his foot stuck in the ground and blow out his knee.

by Bravesin07 on Apr 28, 2025 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Iiiiinteresting

Thanks for the info! It’s a shame they’d let anybody play on a field in that condition, if that’s the case.

by GuyinNY on Apr 28, 2025 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

uhhhhhh

No he didn’t, and no he’s not.

by mrkupe on Apr 28, 2025 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

What are you talking about? If anything Harper was better

Harper in low A at age 18: .318/.423/.554 with a K% of 20.0 and BB% of 14.4
Young in low A at age 18: .322/.388/.527 with a K% of 20.8 and BB% of 9.2

Harper in AAA at age 19: .250/.333/.375 with a K% of 17.1 and BB% of 11.0
Young in AAA at age 19: .285/.303/.447 with a K% of 14.1 and BB% of 1.7!!!!

So in the only decent sample size we have to look at, Harper easily out played Young in low-A, posting a similar batting average while showing more power and far better plate discipline. In AAA, where Harper wasn’t given enough time to adjust like Young was, he posted a slightly worse slash line but showed far, far, far better plate discipline than Young did. The problems with plate discipline that have marred Young’s career were already plainly obvious by the time he was playing in AAA.

by nixa37 on Apr 29, 2025 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

The extensive conspiracy to suppress the truth about Harper is amazing.

Every scout completely agrees with you but the Military-Industrial Complex doesn’t want us to know the truth and that’s why they’ve engineered the media to make us believe that Bryce Harper exists, when in fact, he does not.

by philosofool on May 1, 2025 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Trout will be so much better than Harper it's not even funny

I think Trout’s floor is Tim Raines

by Bravesin07 on Apr 28, 2025 8:48 AM EDT reply actions

let me be clear

No prospect has Tim Raines floor. Tim Raines deserves to be in the Hall as the second greatest leadoff hitter of his generation. Trout would be lucky to have Tim Raines upside

by ADLC on Apr 28, 2025 9:51 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 2 recs

Raines

It’s a shame he happened to be born into the same generation as Rickey. Granted, that meant that Rock played in the era best suited to his particular talents (the turfball of the 80’s), but it also led to him being overshadowed pretty massively. The 81 strike, 94 strike, and collusion also make him seem superficially less durable than he was (which is a problem, because durability really is the one problem with Raines’ candidacy.)

by GuyinNY on Apr 28, 2025 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions