Bryce Harper and the Most Ballyhooed Superstar Beginnings in MLB History

The hype surrounding Bryce Harper has been absolutely immense, and it has been mentioned that Harper may be the best hitting prospect in baseball history.

Harper has already reached the major leagues at age 19 and has shown that he is more than capable of competing with the best players in baseball. Through Harper's first 23 games, he has posted a .264/.343/.471 triple-slash line. He also has two home runs and nine RBI, impressive numbers for a 19-year-old.

Expectations for Harper will remain high throughout his career. Having a solid rookie year could be the start of a potential Hall of Fame career for Harper.

To get a sense of how Harper looks in his rookie season, we can compare his performance to those of the top-15 hitters in baseball history (per Baseball-Reference's Elo Rater). The statistics will be from the year in which the players surpassed 130 career at-bats.

Alex Rodriguez

Rookie Year Age: 19

Rookie Year Stats: .232/.264/.408, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB (142 at-bats)

Alex Rodriguez actually reached the major leagues when he was 18 years old in 1994 and he appeared in 17 games. The expectations that have now been placed on Harper are similar to the ones that were placed on Rodriguez after he was selected first overall in the 1993 MLB draft.

Things quickly got better for Rodriguez, as he was dominant in 1996. He led the American League with a .358 batting average and finished second in the AL MVP race. The Washington Nationals can only hope for a similar jump in production from Bryce Harper next year.

Frank Robinson

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .290/.379/.558, 38 HR, 83 RBI, 8 SB (572 at-bats)

It was immediately clear once Frank Robinson reached the major leagues that he was going to be a special player. He had one of the best rookie years in MLB history.

Robinson won the National League Rookie of the Year award and finished seventh in the MVP voting. He was an All-Star during his rookie season in 1956 and absolutely deserved to play in the game. Robinson is the only player that won both the AL and NL MVP awards during his career.

Mike Schmidt

Rookie Year Age: 23

Rookie Year Stats: .196/.324/.373, 18 HR, 52 RBI, 8 SB (367 at-bats)

After appearing in 13 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972, the team decided to keep Mike Schmidt in the majors for the whole season in 1973. Schmidt showed signs of promise, although his overall numbers were not great. Things quickly got better for Schmidt, as he was an All-Star and MVP candidate in 1974.

While Schmidt was a bit older than Harper when he reached the majors, he had only spent 205 games in the minor leagues after being drafted in the second round of the 1971 MLB draft.

Jimmie Foxx

Rookie Year Age: 19

Rookie Year Stats: .323/.393/.515, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 2 SB (130 at-bats)

Jimmie Fox actually made his major-league debut at the age of 17 and received nine at-bats during the 1925 season. He saw some more major-league action the following year, as he recorded 32 at-bats.

The first season that Foxx got an extended look in the majors was 1927. The power was not there for the eventual two-time MVP, but Foxx showed he could hit for average. The power would show up soon, as Foxx slugged 33 home runs in 1929.

Tris Speaker

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .224/.262/.276, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 3 SB (116 plate appearances)

Following the 19 at-bats that Tris Speaker had in 1907, he would have lost his rookie eligibility following the 1908 season based on the current MLB definition of a rookie. Speaker's rookie season may have been rough, but he picked things up in a big way the following season.

In Speaker's first full season in the majors in 1909, he began to look like a star, batting over .300 for the year. Speaker became one of the game's early stars and would eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Mickey Mantle

Rookie Year Age: 19

Rookie Year Stats: .267/.349/.443, 13 HR, 65 RBI, 8 SB (341 at-bats)

When Mickey Mantle made his major-league debut in 1951, the New York Yankees were expecting a lot from him, as he had proved that the minor leagues were no match for him.

Mantle put up good numbers in his rookie season, and it is possible that Bryce Harper can match that level of production during his own first year. Like many of the other players on this list, Mantle quickly became an MVP candidate and finished third in the voting in 1952 as a 20-year-old.

Rogers Hornsby

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .313/.369/.444, 6 HR, 65 RBI, 17 SB (495 at-bats)

Rogers Hornsby got his first taste of the majors in 1915, when he stepped to the plate for 57 at-bats. That experience certainly helped Hornsby when he was called upon for a full-time roll during the 1916 season.

Hornsby would go on to become one of the best second basemen in MLB history and batted over .400 three times during his career.

Hank Aaron

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .280/.322/.447, 13 HR, 69 RBI, 2 SB (468 at-bats)

Following his rookie year, it would have been hard to tell that Hank Aaron would eventually go on to be the all-time home-run leader, but he did look like he would be a very good player. Aaron finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1954.

Aaron's rookie season was just one of four seasons during his 23-year career that he did not receive any MVP votes. He rapidly emerged as a big power threat in the middle of the Braves' lineup and was one of the most feared hitters in the majors before he turned 25.

Honus Wagner

Rookie Year Age: 23

Rookie Year Stats: .335/.376/.467, 2 HR, 39 RBI, 20 SB (242 at-bats)

Honus Wagner began his major-league career in the late 1900s and quickly looked like he would become a top player. The owner of a career .328 batting average, Wagner showed that he could hit consistently during his rookie season in 1897.

Versatility was a key part of Wagner's game, and he showed that off in his first year with the Louisville Colonels before he was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stan Musial

Rookie Year Age: 21

Rookie Year Stats: .315/.397/.490, 10 HR, 72 RBI, 6 SB (467 at-bats)

Stan Musial got his first shot in the major leagues in 1941 and provided a glimpse of what he could do when he hit .426 in 47 at-bats. He kept up this high level of performance during his rookie year in 1942.

Musial quickly became an MVP candidate, as he finished 12th in the voting during his rookie year. Things would only get better from there, as he picked up the first of three MVP awards the next season. The Washington Nationals can only hope that Bryce Harper will become the face of their franchise the same way Musial became the face of the Cardinals.

Willie Mays

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .276/.356/.472, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 7 SB (464 at-bats)

It should come as no surprise that Willie Mays won the Rookie of the Year award in 1951. Based on the numbers that he was able to put up, Mays looked like he would be a special player right from the start.

Mays missed most of the next two seasons while he served the United States in the Korean War. He didn't miss a beat, however, and won the National League MVP in his first year back in the majors.

Lou Gehrig

Rookie Year Age: 22

Rookie Year Stats: .295/.365/.531, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 6 SB (437 at-bats)

Lou Gehrig had short stints in the majors when he was 20 and 21. These opportunities likely helped him prepare for his first extended period of time in the big leagues during his rookie year in 1925.

Right from the start, Gehrig looked like an MVP-caliber player. He was a superstar and won two MVP awards during his 17-year career.

Ted Williams

Rookie Year Age: 20

Rookie Year Stats: .327/.426/.609, 31 HR, 145 RBI, 2 SB (565 at-bats)

It did not take long for Ted Williams to blossom into a star once he reached the major leagues. He immediately found success and dominated pitchers during his first season. Williams finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, and he certainly would have won the Rookie of the Year award if it existed at that time.

As good as Williams was during his career, he could have had even better numbers had he not missed close to five seasons during the prime of his career while serving in World War II and the Korean War. Each time that Williams returned, it was clear that he did not miss a beat.

Ty Cobb

Rookie Year Age: 18

Rookie Year Stats: .240/.288/.300, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB (150 at-bats)

Though Ty Cobb reached the major leagues when he was only 18 years old, he was not very impressive during his rookie season. Things would get better for Cobb during his second year in the bigs.

Cobb would eventually develop into one of the best players in baseball history. Speed was one of his many assets, as he recorded 295 triples and 897 stolen bases during his career.

Babe Ruth

Rookie Year Age: 21

Rookie Year Stats: .272/.322/.419, 3 HR, 15 RBI (136 at-bats)

Babe Ruth spent the first five years of his career as a starting pitcher, but he also got consistent at-bats in the Boston Red Sox lineup in 1916. Ruth posted a 1.75 ERA that year, which was the lowest in the American League.

Not only did Ruth perform well on the mound, but he also showed off some potential at the plate that season. Ruth would become the best player in MLB history after he focused on hitting full time.