Bryce Harper: Why Nats Phenom Would Be Rookie of the Year If Season Ended Today

Since bursting onto the scene on April 28, Bryce Harper has taken the baseball world by storm with his all-out style, rocket arm and, most importantly, willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

Still only 19 years old, Harper is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in all of baseball, capable of making a highlight reel in a multitude of ways on a nightly basis.

It’d be tough to argue that the phenom hasn’t lived up to the absurd expectations that began when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old and have since followed his rapid ascent to the major leagues.

In fact, one could even make the case that if the season ended today, Harper’s outstanding numbers and role in reversing the Washington Nationals’ fate would garner National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Playing in 45 games this season, Harper is batting .289/.367/.514 in 196 plate appearances with seven home runs, four stolen bases and 19 RBI. More importantly, Harper has registered a 1.5 fWAR (FanGraphs WAR), which is second in the National League ahead of the Mets’ Kirk Nieuwenhuis (1.4) and trails only the Reds’ Zack Cozart (1.9).

Still, it’s important to note that Harper has posted such marks in nearly 20 games less than both players. And, oh yeah, he’s five years younger than Nieuwenhuis (24) and seven years younger than Cozart (26).

Here’s a statistical look at how Harper compares to other notable rookies in the National League:

Player	G	OPS	wRC+	wOBA	WAR
Bryce Harper	45	.882	138	.376	1.5
Kirk Nieuwenhuis	67	.764	112	.334	1.4
Zack Cozart	64	.744	101	.325	1.9
Wilin Rosario	44	.750	83	.311	0.6
Todd Frazier	45	.872	130	.368	1.0

As you can see, Harper is leading all National League rookies in nearly every offensive statistic, a true testament to the impact that he has made in his first 44 games with the Nats.

But while Harper may be tearing it up at the plate, the race for NL Rookie of the Year becomes a bit more complicated when considering the performance of Wade Miley of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Miley, a left-hander, has arguably been the Diamondbacks’ top pitcher over the last month, as he currently owns an 8-3 record, 2.30 ERA and 3.72 xFIP over 82.1 innings pitched. Overall, Miley’s outstanding season thus far has resulted in a 2.3 fWAR.

While an argument can be made for Miley to be the National League Rookie of the Year (if the season ended today, that is), I firmly believe that the award should still go to Harper. What he’s done at 19 years old on a statistical level, as well as the impact his performance has had on the Nationals as a whole, is almost unprecedented.

Furthermore, a position player who is able to contribute at a high level for 130 to 140 games in a given season needs to be considered significantly more valuable than a pitcher who takes the mound every five days and tallies roughly 30 starts per season—assuming that he stays healthy.

The same philosophy should be translated in a similar manner for the present argument, as 45 games played must be considered far more valuable than a starter who has made 10 to 15 starts thus far.

Would Harper be the NL Rookie of the Year if the season ended today? Please. That's a clown question, bro.

Bryce Harper is a generational talent performing at a high level on baseball’s biggest stage. Who knows? If the Nationals ultimately make the playoffs, we may be having the same discussion regarding the phenom’s MVP candidacy.