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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 82994.html

Is This the Best Hitting Prospect Ever?[b]

By all rights, Washington Nationals outfield prospect Bryce Harper should still be a senior in high school, renting a tuxedo for prom and searching for a summer job. Instead, Harper is playing Single-A baseball in Hagerstown, Md., and proving that he may be the best prospect the game has seen in a very long time.

[b]Harper's line for the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Nationals looks like something out of a video game—he's hitting .396 and has launched eight home runs in 111 at-bats at a level where most of the pitchers are three to four years older than he is. Despite being one of just three 18-year-olds in the league, Harper is leading the SAL in batting average and slugging percentage, and he's second in on-base percentage.

His line so far is dwarfing the performances put up at the same age and at the same level by even the best players in baseball history. Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were the last two prospects to receive this kind of hype coming out of high school, and like Harper, both were selected No. 1 overall. However, neither of them came close to hitting .400, at that age and Harper is showing more power than both.

The list of players who dominated full-season minor leagues at age 18 is essentially a who's who of great hitters. Harper has drawn comparisons to Texas Rangers outfielder and reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton, but based on their early career returns, that might be vastly underselling just how good Harper can be.

Pine's note: I moved this thread over from the Wizards board and changed the title to reflect the article being quoted, above. (The original thread title was "Washington Nationals Thread").

And he just got fitted for contact lenses...

Dude is a legit freak o nature. I'd send him up to AA now.

Tell ya what - Machado of the O's - also in the SALly League - may not be too far behind - though an injury slowed him up.

Help a brotha out and post here: http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=124. Just became mod of the Nats board and the Os board, so any active participation is encouraged. Thanks fellas.

Oh I'll help you alright.

This weekend I'm coming over and I'm going all donkey/jwiz/swami all over your boards.

Muahahahaha

(congrats for being named a mod without snitching)

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Edited to add:

This thread - originally on the Wizards board - should be on the Nats board. I'm gonna try and move it over and leave a shadow topic on the Wiz board.

Hey Wiz fans, let's all support RealGM's Nationals and Os boards. Okay?

I just hope he doesn't get derailed by anything, because he looks like a superstar in the making.

This guy looks like a phenom and the next great hitter in the league. If the kid lives up to the hype...he's box office. Pair him with Strasburg and the young core that's already here?

He should be up by 2013. If not, by Fall 2012 for a cup of coffee.

All of this and the kid's vision wasn't even good.....

Harper will start out in the majors in 2012. He might be up for a cup of coffee this season. The only thing that is will slow him up is his fielding.