Stephen Strasburg one season, Bryce Harper the next. That was the anticipation when the Washington Nationals secured the No. 1 pick this June for the second straight year. After all, Harper is portrayed as the “Next Great Thing” — he was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year.
But it may be time to re-evaluate the expectation he’ll go No. 1 overall. ESPN baseball columnist Buster Olney wrote that scouts are saying Harper, a catcher, is not a lock to go No. 1, partly because his swing is more violent than they would like. And he struck out 17 times in his first 71 at-bats for Southern Nevada, a junior college. That’s not good, even if his .408 batting average is.
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However, one thing must be noted: He’s only 17 years old. And his talent level is still unbelievably high. We’re not ready to ditch him at No. 1.
