5 Reasons Washington Nationals Bryce Harper Will Be a Big-League Bust

As I’m sure most, if not all, of the baseball world is familiar with the name Bryce Harper.  There hasn’t been this much buzz surrounding an up and coming hot, young prospect since…phenom Stephen Strasburg in 2010.  So, it hasn’t been too long, but the question is whether or not he’ll be able to live up to his seemingly boundless expectations.

The Washington DC baseball scene is one of the most exciting in all of MLB and Harper has really made a name for himself even before making his debut with the team.  Some critics say he is too arrogant and that might be one of his major downfalls at the major league level. 

What other possible reasons could prove Harper to be just another superstar bust at the major league level?  Due to his age and tremendous skill level, there are many questions looming in his future about whether he’ll spend enough time in the minor leagues and the rest of his development at the major league level. 

Here are my top five reasons why Bryce Harper will be a major league bust.

1. Arrogance/Attitude

The most prominent negative aspect regarding Harper is his attitude.  Yes, it is important to have self-confidence and believe in yourself in order to succeed, but he takes it to the extreme.  He thinks he can do anything and everything, but he’s young and still has everything to learn about the major leagues.

We have never even seen this kid step to the plate in a major league game and he thinks he’s the next big thing.  In response to the news that he will not start the year with the Nats,

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“But I'm just going to take it, and go down there and work hard and try to get up here as quick as I can. Of course you want to come in here and make the team every year. Hopefully, that's the last time I'll get sent down. But it's what happened. I wasn't expecting it, but it's OK”.

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It's tough to get past the fact that he says he was not expecting to be sent down.  He's never played a game at the major league level and thinks that he should make the team out of his first spring training is a little much for me.  

I’ve already heard comparisons to the home run king Barry Bonds and his struggles with attitude problems in San Francisco.  We all know that the Nationals do not need nor want the type of publicity that surrounded the Giants over Bonds’ last seasons with the club.  Harper is too young to already be so arrogant that he’s not even appreciated in his clubhouse, and hopefully it doesn’t make it that far.

2. Publicity and Hype

Another possible reason for Harper’s collapse is the amount of publicity that he’s already been exposed to at such a young age before he even fully knows himself.  He’s already very comfortable with having cameras on him, but maybe it’s too soon for that.   It’s very possible that the expectations that are piled high on his plate will get the best of him.   

Yes, he’s proved that he can out-perform high school athletes and he recorded strong numbers last season with both the A and AA affiliates of the Nationals.  He smashed 17 home runs, drove in 58 and hit at a .297 clip over 109 contests last summer.

When I think of MLB prospects that still haven’t made it, I immediately think of the Rays' Matt Bush, and not because of his most recent run in with the law.  The Padres drafted him as the first overall draft pick in the 2004 MLB draft and the media made him out to be the next big pitcher.

Bush’s signing bonus of $3.15 million was the second largest ever that the Padres gave to a draftee.  If that wasn’t enough, he was the first shortstop to be drafted first since none other than controversial Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez back in 1993 with the Mariners.

But, to this date, Bush has not appeared in a major league contest and it doesn’t look as if he is getting any closer. 

3. Called Up Too Early

My third reason for Harper’s demise is if he is yanked out of the minors and thrust into the spotlight too early.  We all know that he is beginning the year with the Nats’ AAA affiliate, so that means at some point this summer, Harper will manning center field for Washington.  It’s just a matter of when.

But, I think the Nationals should hold off until at least the All-Star break and let him get 80 games under his belt at the minor league level, and then, if he’s ready, send him up for the remainder of the season. 

I remember they brought up Strasburg in June, and everyone thought that was too early.  And then what happened? Strasburg lands on the DL and missed almost the entire 2011 season. 

Orioles' troubled lefty Brian Matusz is another young hurler who shot through the minor leagues and made his debut too early.   The Birds drafted him in 2008 and he made his major league debut in August of 2009 after appearing in 19 games between the Orioles’ A and AA affiliates. 

Ever since, Matusz has been very inconsistent and entering this season, it’s uncertain whether he’ll even begin the year with the team after struggling mightily in 2011. It’s quite evident Matusz needed more time to adjust to the majors, and even though one is a pitcher and one is an outfielder, they still need to gain experience.  What’s the hurry?

4. Long Swing

Up to this point, I’ve been rambling about off-field distractions that may cause Harper to turn out to be a bust.  Now, let’s shift out focus to his performance.  Although he possesses a very strong swing, it’s also a long swing. 

Long swings prove costly for batters all the time because it makes it that much harder to adjust to the breaking pitch.  We all know that Harper can hit the daylights out of a fastball, but what can he do against an off-speed pitcher on the outside black?  It’s a known fact that breaking balls in the minors aren’t as sharp and fluid as in the majors, so it will be interesting to see if Harper can hang with the big dogs.

You’re probably familiar with the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano and I’m sure you’ve seen, even criticized his lengthy swing.  But, he still posts impressive power numbers from season to season.  Soriano utilizes his fast hands to speed up his long swing, but even with his quick hands, there are consequences.

One of Soriano’s major problems since he debuted has been his strike out numbers, which is a result of his long swing.  He averages 144 strikeouts per season, which means he strikes out about once per game because he plays on average 144 games per season. 

His long swing can be corrected and I’m sure that is one of the main focuses of his at the minor league level.  But, he needs time to practice and what better time than at the beginning of his career.  

5. Change of Position

The Nationals’ future plan is to have Harper man center field for years to come, but in high school, it’s widely known that Harper flourished as a backstop.  He’s made the move to the outfield in order to lengthen his career, which hasn’t even started yet!

But, it’s definitely a smart move by the Nationals.  But, if he were to have to move back to catcher, I think that this could hurt his career by shortening it extensively.  Nowadays you see more and more catchers moving to first base roles, or mixing and matching. 

Mike Piazza, of course, immediately comes to mind because he spent most of his career as a catcher, and slowly transitioned from backstop to first base and then eventually to DH.  He finished his last season with the Athletics as their permanent designated hitter.

Not only does it cut down on the amount of games played in a season, but power numbers decline.  Piazza hit 33 homeruns in 2002, but he was never able to hit more than 22 over his next five seasons and he only jolted eight in his last season in the majors.

Everyone knows catchers usually end their careers earlier than most due to knee injuries and other catcher-related ailments.  So, I know they moved him to the outfield for a reason, but if there ever is a question of whether to move him back to catcher, the answer is most definitely no or it will hurt his career.