Bryce Harper: Bold Predictions for Washington Nationals Rookie Phenom

Bryce Harper is off to an impressive start to his career. Not only is the Washington Nationals' rookie phenom impressive with the physical aspects of the game, he also has the knowledge of the game necessary to be great.

The Nats brought Harper up slightly early in order to give a boost to their ailing offense.

Harper's presence on this team has become known very quickly, and it appears he is destined for great things. That being said, here are some bold, but very realistic predictions for the rest of Harper's season.

Harper Will Get Plunked at Least Twice More

Cole Hamel's intentional plunking of Harper is nothing new in the game of baseball, but the Philadelphia Phillies' starter's honesty about his intention was the oddity here.

Harper will garner an incredible amount of attention and that instantly makes him a target. All it could take is one big night against a frustrated pitcher for the Nats' outfielder to get plunked again.

However, this time the pitcher won't be dumb enough to admit what he did and get suspended as a result. Not much of a risk to the pitcher in that sense.

Harper Will Have First Multi-Homer Game at Fenway Park

Yes, that's right. One of the biggest attractions in baseball at the moment will make his way to Boston to take on the Red Sox. What might be the only exciting thing for Red Sox fans that weekend will be Harper's presence in the park.

As a lefty, Harper could potentially abuse the pesky pole in right field and launch a few balls into the stands during the series. With the way Boston has been pitching lately, I wouldn't rule this particular prediction out.

This series will take place June 8th, but by that time, I expect Harper to have at the very least a few homers under his belt in the major leagues going into the showdown at Fenway.

Harper Will Be NL Rookie of the Year

If I told you I had a 19-year-old on my baseball team who was hitting .300 in the majors in 30 at-bats, has a gun for an arm which he's already displayed in the outfield and has already stolen home with a great heads-up play, you'd sign up for that guy being a Rookie of the Year candidate.

And that's even before I tell you about the scouting reports and what he did in the minors.

Harper has the tools to become a complete player in this league and his developing power will only add to his status as a top young player in the MLB. With more time comes more comfort, and with this rookie phenom that spells incredible potential for great numbers.

The Nats' youngest star will be right around .300 for the season and will pick up his power numbers late, drilling 15 homers and driving in 73 runs while playing a stellar outfield. It remains to be seen if Washington will move Harper down in the order to a better run-producing spot at some point, but until they do, those are the numbers I expect from him this season at best.

Still, those numbers could propel the Nationals to an NL East title and their first playoff berth.