Yesterday was May 19, and Bryce Harper hit a home run. In isolation, that wouldn’t be particularly notable if not for the following three things:
It was already Harper’s 15th homer on the season, putting him on pace for roughly 60 this season.
It was Harper’s 10th homer in his last 12 games, which I can barely fathom.
It looked like this:
That was a slider – a good one, low and out of the zone – that Harper takes off of his shoe tops out to center field. If he can do that with that pitch, then good luck pitchers of Earth. You’re screwed, and you might well consider just putting the guy on half the time (which, you know, pitchers have been doing).
On the year, he’s now hitting .336/.474/.737. Eye-popping.
Harper, who is still only 22 years old(!), is controlled by the Nationals through the 2018 season. It’ll be a while before free agency enters the picture. But, man, if he keeps growing into the guy it looks like he’s becoming, I really, really hope he reaches free agency. No, not because I’m already pining for a 26-year-old Harper in the middle of a Cubs lineup that also features Rizzo/Bryant/Soler/Russell/Schwarber (I’ll stop myself right there).
Instead, I want to see Harper reach free agency at the peak of his game for the same reason I was hoping Giancarlo Stanton would reach it: the insane rumor season, and the eventual insane contract. It would just be so much fun to follow.