Bryce Harper: 20 Coolest YouTube Videos About Nationals' Stud Prospect

The baseball world has been captivated by the talents of 19-year-old Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.

This spring, after just one season in professional baseball, Harper is attempting to make the Nationals' Opening Day roster. Thus far, Harper is 5-for-11 in exhibition play with five singles, although a recent calf injury may slow his progress down.

Nonetheless, it seems apparent that Bryce is destined to impact the Nats' roster at some point this season, if not in early April. His five-tool skill have been well documented since before he was drafted, and he has easily been one of the most hyped baseball prospects in history.

Among the mountains of documentation concerning Harper's prodigious skills are literally hundreds of videos on YouTube, capturing Harper's skills in motion.

Here are a collection of 20 videos that best sum up the skills of Harper.

Harper Gives Batting Practice Clinic as Freshman in High School

In the summer of 2008, Bryce Harper had just completed his freshman year in high school playing catcher, and was invited to the Perfect Game AFLAC Showcase at USC.

Harper not only showed off his arm behind the plate, but also put on a clinic in batting practice, lacing pitch after pitch for either smoked line drives or moonshots well beyond the right field fence.

Harper Hits Longest Home Run Ever Recorded at Tropicana Field

At the third annual International Power Showcase High School Home Run Derby at Tropicana Field in January 2009, 16-year-old Bryce Harper put on a hitting display that won't soon be forgotten.

Harper, who had yet to start his sophomore season in high school baseball at the time, hit at least three balls that traveled over 484 feet, and one was hit a staggering 502 feet. No one had ever hit a ball that far at Tropicana Field, even at the major league level.

Bryce Harper Shows off Cannon Arm as Catcher

While the Washington Nationals are grooming Bryce Harper as a right fielder, he has considerable skills as a pitcher and catcher as well.

Harper has been clocked in the mid-90s with his fastball, and in the attached video, Harper shows off his arm from behind the plate.

Bryce Harper Shows off Interviewing Skills as a 16-Year-Old

In July 2009, 16-year-old Bryce Harper is in Cary, North Carolina, attempting to qualify for the USA national team in the USA Tournament of Stars, a team comprised of the best of the best from across the country who will compete in international competition.

Harper displays his interviewing skills in this clip, showing a poise and polish that belied his young age.

Harper Again Displays Prodigious Home Run Power at Home Run Derby

In August 2009, Bryce Harper was selected to participate in the 2009 AFLAC All-American Classic, held in San Diego. Harper had already been named High School Player of the Year by Baseball America, so his selection was pretty much a no-brainer.

Harper put on another home run clinic during the Home Run Derby, launching balls well over the 385-foot sign in right-center field while using a wooden bat.

There is no confirmation that he broke any of the windows in the buildings beyond the right-field wall.

Harper Is Showcased by ESPN in Interview with Rachel Nichols

In August 2009, two months after Bryce Harper was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he was featured in an ESPN interview with Rachel Nichols.

During the interview, Nichols discusses the 502-foot home run Harper hit at the Home Run Derby in Tropicana Field, and the fact that Harper hit a home run that traveled an estimated 570 feet during his freshman year.

Bryce Harper and His Training with a Bam-Bam Club

During his days with the College of Southern Nevada, Bryce Harper's training regimen was well-documented, but one video in particular stood out.

Harper was seen practicing in a batting cage using a 36-inch, 47-ounce bat. There are few in baseball who use a bat beyond 36 ounces, and while most scouts will say that type of training doesn't necessarily help a batter's swing, it certainly ensured plenty of YouTube hits.

Bryce Harper Shows Tremendous Power to the Opposite Field

On February 5, 2010, freshman Bryce Harper was just starting his collegiate career at the College of South Nevada.

On this dreary, overcast day, Harper worked the count after going down two strikes, and then drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for the home run.

For anyone who has ever played baseball, try hitting a 400-foot opposite-field home run in the rain—not the easiest task in the world to pull off, even for the best of hitters.

Bryce Harper and His Debut on the Mound in College

On April 17, 2010, with his College of Southern Nevada Coyotes locked in a 4-4 tie with Western Nevada, Bryce Harper, who had already homered in the game, was called on to pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Harper got the side in order, including a strikeout. However, in the bottom of the ninth, Harper gave up a triple and a walk-off single, giving Western Nevada a hard-earned 5-4 victory.

Harper Demonstrates a Bit of Showmanship in College

There have been a few well-documented incidents during Bryce Harper's young career thus far that have outlined the fact that is in fact still a teenager.

In a game during his freshman year at College of South Nevada, Harper showed off a bit of that brashness, saluting the opposing team's dugout after hitting a home run.

No word on whether or not a knockdown pitch came during his next at-bat.

Bryce Harper Interview Prior to Start of 2010 JUCO World Series

Prior to the start of the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado in 2010, College of Southern Nevada Coyotes freshman Bryce Harper talks about his transition to college ball from the high school level.

In a press conference lasting 30 minutes, Harper fielded questions about the scrutiny placed on him all season long, the pressure of playing every day with a multitude of scouts at every game, and the appreciation and respect he had for his teammates and coach.

Harper's Temper Hurts His Team in JUCO World Series

In early June 2010, the College of Southern Nevada was participating in the JUCO World Series partially because the skills of its great hitter, Bryce Harper. However, Harper's petulance ended up costing his team.

In a game against San Jacinto, Harper was called out on strikes on what was arguably a questionable call by the umpire—replays show the ball clearly out of the strike zone. Harper, clearly angered, drew a line in the dirt where he thought the ball was, garnering an immediate ejection by the home plate umpire.

Harper's ejection was his second of the season, and under junior college rules, it earned him an automatic two-game suspension. CSN would go on to lose that game and be eliminated from the JUCO World Series the following day without Harper in the lineup, ending his collegiate career.

Bryce Harper's Selection as the First Overall Draft Pick in 2010 MLB Draft

On June 7, 2010, the baseball world finally learned about what was widely considered the worst-kept secret in baseball.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig announced that Bryce Harper had been selected as the first overall draft pick by the Washington Nationals, joining pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who had been selected by the Nats with the first overall pick a year earlier.

Harper's selection was widely expected, and the Nationals did little to convince anyone that Harper wouldn't be the first pick.

Bryce Harper Makes It to Congress—Sort of

Shortly after Bryce Harper was selected by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, he was featured in a speech on the floor of Congress.

Nevada Rep. Dina Titus took her one minute of time during a general session for the House of Representatives to recognize her constituent on his selection, telling Congress and anyone listening on C-SPAN about the great accomplishments of the young Nevadan.

Bryce Harper's First Hit as a Professional

After Bryce Harper agreed to a five-year, $10 million contract with the Washington Nationals in mid-August 2010, he saw his first taste of professional action a month and a half later, playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.

Harper did absolutely nothing to disappoint, putting up a .343/.410/.629 slash line with three doubles, two triples and a home run in nine games.

Bryce Harper and His Inauspicious Beginning in Spring Training 2011

In an early spring training game in late February 2011, the Washington Nationals played the New York Mets, and the game marked the debut of Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in a Nats uniform.

Unfortunately, Harper didn't quite have the debut he would have liked, striking out on three pitches.

Harper did hit .389 in 13 spring games before being sent down to Single-A Hagerstown.

Bryce Harper and Tyler Waldron Have Choice Words for Each Other

Late in Bryce Harper's first month with the Hagerstown Suns, his team was playing the West Virginia Power. Harper had homered earlier in the game off Power starter Tyler Waldron, but Waldron had the upper hand in the next at-bat, retiring Harper on a called third strike.

While Harper was depositing his batting helmet and gloves on home plate, Waldron said something that apparently got under the young hitter's skin. After walking toward Waldron, the benches quickly cleared, and Harper was led away from the scene by one of his coaches.

When you're a young hitting prodigy, you will be a target no matter where you are, as Harper is quickly learning.

Bryce Harper Decides to Show Affection for Opposing Pitcher

In June 2011, Hagerstown Suns outfielder Bryce Harper came up in the sixth inning of a game against Greensboro with the game scoreless. Harper took an offering from pitcher Zachary Neal and launched it far over the right field fence.

Harper thought enough of his fine handiwork that he wanted to admire it for a few seconds before embarking on his very slow trot around the bases.

Neal was unimpressed, and let Harper know exactly what he thought of his antics. Harper's response? He blew Neal a kiss.

Remember now, Harper was only 18 at the time. The maturity will come in time. It just wasn't there on that night.

Bryce Harper Ends His First Professional Season in Style

Back in the Arizona Fall League for a second season in 2011, Bryce Harper picked up where he left off the previous year.

Harper essentially toyed with AFL pitching, putting up a .333/.400/.634 slash line with six doubles, two triples, six HR, 26 RBI and 11 walks and in 25 games and 93 at-bats.

Harper's great fall put a lid on his first professional season during which he hit .297 with 17 HR and 58 RBI between Single-A and Double-A ball.

Bryce Harper and His Quest to Make the 25-Man Roster for 2012

Thus far in spring training, Washington Nationals outfielder has done nothing to convince Nats' management that he doesn't belong with the big club, with a .455 average in four exhibition games.

Harper will be slowed by a strained calf muscle, and the Nats expect Harper to be out of action for the next 2-3 days as a precautionary measure. Whether or not this derails Harper's attempt to land on the roster heading north is up for debate, but there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Harper's time will be coming sooner rather than later.

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.

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