Bryce Harper was the NL MVP in 2015 after an absurd .330/.460/.649 season.
In 2016, Harper dealt with a variety of issues – pitchers staying away from him more often than anticipated, possible health issues (though he denies), and perhaps the pressure associated with having posted one of the best seasons in history at age 22. Thus, in 2016, Harper hit just .243/.373/.441.
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Well, there was a lot of offseason talk about what he would be this year, and if you can tell by a single Spring Training plate appearance*, Bryce Harper is clearly back:
First at-bat? Forget about it.@Bharper3407 is ridiculous: https://t.co/3HzORPyfAB #Crushed pic.twitter.com/tH6L6wGorB
— MLB (@MLB) February 25, 2017
That was a serious shot. I like how Mets lefty Sean Gilmartin reacts with such disappointment. Like someone told him before the game, “Whatever you do, just don’t give up a homer to Bryce Harper. Spring Training is everything, man.”
*(You cannot.)