Bryce Harper, the most-hyped 16-year-old baseball prospect in history (he was on the freakin’ cover of Sports Illustrated last spring!), might not even get drafted in the first round of next June’s amateur draft. Harper’s stock has been falling as he struggled against strong competition in “Area Code” games in and around the Las Vegas area this summer, along with other regional all star games he participated in. He’s shown a major weakness in adjusting to off-speed pitches, and his swing that was so highly-touted in the spring appeared inconsistent in the summer.
Harper has already proven he can hit the ball a ton off batting practice pitching, blasting 500+ foot shots in Tropicana Field during a home run derby. The question remains whether he can really hit the ball that well against good pitching that changes speeds and has more movement. His high school numbers are good but not “1st round draft pick good”. What Harper does have is a lot of upside. If he can start working with a good hitting coach he might be able to make the right adjustments to transfer his hitting ability to the pros. In addition, Harper is a catcher, which makes him quite valuable to almost any ball club. We’ve all seen how a catcher who can actually hit can carry a team, as Joe Mauer put the Twins on his back and took them to the playoffs despite losing Justin Morneau for the final month of the season.
With the proper coaching, Bryce Harper is the kind of player you could build a franchise around. Even if he can only catch for 7-10 years in the big leagues before switching to first base, that’s still 7-10 years where you’ve got a catcher probably batting in the 3rd or 4th spot. Let’s hope that Harper, who was projected as a top pick just a few months ago, slips down to the Astros.
Mike Hampton underwent shoulder surgery last week and will miss the 2010 season. After going just 7-10 in 21 starts this past season with a 5.30 ERA I think maybe it’s time to put the old guy out to pasture. He’s had a great career, but he’ll be well on his way to 39 years old by the time he can return to the game.
There’s nothing quite like dominating a division opponent at their home ballpark. That’s exactly what the Astros do when playing the Reds at Great American Ball Park. They’ve won 17 of the last 19 at the Reds home, and I’m sure they will again today as they start a series in Cincinnati. The Astros are coming off a shutout loss to their in-state non-league rival Texas Rangers. Let’s hope the offense can get it going today as we remember all of America’s fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.
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