Bryce Harper Recalled to Nationals: 5 Things That Will Make That a Reality

Bryce Harper recalled to the Nationals.

Those are the headlines that most Washington fans can't wait to see.

With Harper being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, it's only a matter of time before the top prospect in the game will be recalled.

Why did the Nationals do it? Some will say he needs a little more seasoning in the minor leagues, while others believe it's purely to prevent him from being a Super Two.

Regardless, Harper will be in Washington by the All-Star Break.

To get there, I believe there are five things that will need to happen.

Take Advantage of Home Games

Harper will have a distinct advantage of not having to worry about travel in the early part of his Triple-A schedule.

The Chiefs are scheduled to play 19 of their first 25 games at home. With this being the case, Harper is going to have the ability to take advantage of the rest he'll have by staying home.

And, with the rest, we know that Harper will more than take advantage of it at the plate.

By using the schedule to his advantage, Harper can inflate his numbers early on, and give the Nationals no reason why they shouldn't go ahead and promote him.

The Chiefs will have more road games in May, but will have 20-straight games at home in June.

By the time that home-stand is finished, Harper should be in the big leagues.

Show 5-Tools Early

Harper has every tool you could ever want out of a big-league ballplayer.

Having to spend some time in Triple-A will allow Harper to continue to show his five tools, making it hard for the Nats not to bring him up before the All-Star Break.

By the time we're six weeks into the season, Harper should be in double-digits for home runs and stolen bases, and well over 30 RBI. If he continues to show discipline at the plate, he'll also be well above .300.

Honestly, even if that doesn't happen, I don't think it will make a big difference. Harper won't spend the entire season in the minor leagues.

Struggles at the Big-League Level

There have been obvious struggles by Roger Bernadina, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa.

The struggles of Bernadina are the ones that will put Harper as the starting center fielder, while the struggles of Desmond and Espinosa are going to insert the 19-year-old into the top of the lineup.

While a good player, Barnadina in no way will keep his starting spot over Harper, nor will he displace Jayson Werth or Michael Morse at the other outfield positions.

The Desmond and Espinosa situation might be a little trickier.

Although neither have really done much at the top two positions in the order, it may be hard to insert Harper into one of those spots once he's called up.

However, if he gives the Nationals the best chance, then his experience shouldn't matter, and he should be inserted into one of those two positions from Day 1.

Nationals Struggle Early

The Nationals look to have a relatively easy schedule in April.

After opening on the road with the Cubs, they will travel to New York to play the Mets, before coming home to play the Reds, Astros and Marlins. The Nats will close out the month on the West Coast with series at San Diego and Los Angeles.

Other than the Reds and Dodgers, the Nats have the ability to take series victories over the other five opponents.

Should the team struggle through the first month of the season and not have a winning record, Harper will be in Washington faster than you can believe.

The Fans Call for It

If the fans start calling for Harper to be brought up, Nationals' management is going to have no choice but to do so.

Just like they did for Stephen Strasburg, the fans will rally behind Harper.

The plus side of things is that they'll be selling more tickets, just like they did when Strasburg made his debut.

Regardless of how we look at things, Bryce Harper is going to be in Washington for many years to come.