Bryce Harper and the 10 Teenagers with the Most Raw Power in Baseball History

One quick look at the numbers for Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper clearly shows that he is on a pace to rival numbers put up by other famous teenagers in MLB history.

Through 51 games, Harper is hitting .280 with seven HRs, 20 RBI, an .848 OPS and an OPS-plus of 129.

Not too many youngsters can lay claim to those types of lofty numbers at such a young age.

We will take a look at 10 other teenagers who displayed raw power at an early age.

Andruw Jones

Curacao native Andruw Jones made his debut for the Atlanta Braves in 1996 at the age of 19, and while his regular season wasn't necessarily impressive, his performance in the World Series was indeed memorable.

Jones hit home runs in his first two at-bats in the Fall Classic, becoming the youngest player in MLB history (19 years, 180 days) to go yard in the World Series.

Jones is still going strong, with seven HRs this season for the New York Yankees at the ripe old age of 35.

Alex Rodriguez

Making his debut for the Seattle Mariners in 1994 at the age of 18 years and 11 months, shortstop Alex Rodriguez struggled at first, but it was apparent from the beginning that the youngster had raw power.

Rodriguez played in only 17 games that season, mainly due to the strike that would end the season.

However, in 1996 Rodriguez displayed the power that was apparent when he was drafted, hitting 36 home runs at the age of 20.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Another celebrated rookie made his debut as a teenager for the Seattle Mariners five years before Alex Rodriguez—19-year-old Ken Griffey Jr.

Griffey played in 127 games in 1989 for the Mariners, hitting 16 HRs with 61 RBI and displaying the five tools that led the Mariners to select him with the first overall draft pick in 1987 at the age of 17.

Griffey would go on to hit 630 HRs during his fabulous 22-year career.

Tony Conigliaro

Local high school product Tony Conigliaro made his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1964 as a 19-year-old.

Conigliaro showed incredible raw power that first year, hitting 24 HRs with 52 RBI despite missing over a month with arm and toe injuries.

The following season, Conigliaro would lead the American League with 32 home runs and became the youngest player in MLB history to record 100 homers in 1967 at the age of 22.

Jimmie Foxx

First baseman Jimmie Foxx was only 17 years old when he debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925, and while he took a couple of years to adjust to the majors, it was obvious that Double X had power to burn.

Foxx was originally a catcher when he made his debut and was behind Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane on the depth chart.

Finally moving to first base, Foxx became a regular in 1929 and would eventually become the youngest player to reach the 500-home-run plateau at the age of 32, a record that stood for 68 seasons.

Al Kaline

The Detroit Tigers signed young 18-year-old outfielder Al Kaline out of Southern High School in Baltimore in 1953.

Kaline bypassed the minor leagues completely, making his debut on June 25 that year.

Kaline's power wasn't evident right away, but he quickly showed his skills, winning the American League batting title in 1955 at the age of 20, hitting 27 home runs along the way.

Kaline would retire with 399 lifetime home runs.

Babe Ruth

When Babe Ruth debuted for the Boston Red Sox as a 19-year-old in 1914, management knew Ruth could pitch.

However, they quickly found out he could hit a ball a country mile as well.

Ruth only hit nine home runs in his first four seasons, but he would lead the American League in 1918 with 11 long balls while pitching and playing the field part-time.

Mel Ott

Mel Ott had just turned 17 when he made his debut for the New York Giants in 1926.

Ott played sparingly in his first two seasons, but in 1928, Ott got his chance to shine, hitting 18 HRs with a .921 OPS at the age of 19.

Ott became the first National League player to reach the 500-home-run plateau in 1945.

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle debuted with the New York Yankees in 1951 at the age of 19, looked upon as the successor to the great Joe DiMaggio.

Mantle struggled to find his way, spending time in the minors before being called back up again later in the season.

Mantle hit 13 home runs that first season and would end his career 17 years later as the best switch-hitter in MLB history.

Bryce Harper

There may have been no major league debut that was more highly anticipated than that of 19-year-old Harper.

On the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16 with the caption of "The Chosen One," Harper has been under the bright lights for some time.

However, he has yet to wilt under the spotlight.

Harper has seamlessly transitioned to the outfield for the Washington Nationals after spending most of his amateur career as a catcher. Harper's natural abilities certainly helped in that transition, and his rocket arm has been on display several times already.

Earlier this month, Harper's power was on display in Toronto against the Blue Jays, hitting a mammoth shot that traveled an estimated 450 feet at the Rogers Centre.

Where will Harper rank among the greatest teenagers in history? There are still a little over three months left in the season to determine his rank, but based on the body of work thus far, it will be memorable nonetheless.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.