MLB All Star Game 2012: Bryce Harper Becomes ASG's Youngest Position Player Ever

Born October 16, 1992 and currently 19 years old, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will become the youngest position player ever to make an MLB All-Star Game (barring unforeseen circumstances) after he was selected to replace Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. 

Amanda Comak, Nationals beat reporter for the Washington Times, reports via Twitter:

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Bryce Harper will replace Mike Stanton on the NL All-Star team.

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) July 7, 2012"

Stanton has missed time this season with a right knee injury, which forced him to leave the Marlins’ July 7 matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals when the knee continued to bother him. CBS Sports reported via Twitter that he will miss over a month. 

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Giancarlo Stanton to undergo knee surgery, miss 4-6 weeks cbsprt.co/N5eHw0 via @cbssports

— Eye on Baseball (@EyeOnBaseball) July 7, 2012"

Bryce Harper is batting .283 this season with eight home runs and a .479 slugging percentage, helping the struggling Washington franchise turn its fortunes around. The Nationals currently sit in first in the NL East standings.

The outfielder is considered to be the most promising fielding prospect in decades and has lived up to the hype thus far. As noted by Matt Breen of the Washington Post, Harper has not missed a single game since being called up to the majors on April 27.

Harper was in contention for the final spot on the NL roster, but St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese came out on top in the Final Vote.

The young phenom has done nothing but silence his critics since becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the 2010 draft by the Washington Nationals. The 6’3”, 225-pound teenager is on track to meet the near-impossible expectations placed on him as the All-Star selection shows. As quoted by Amanda Comak and the Washington Times:

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"I'm just excited to get there and just have a good time," Harper said, calling the bit of history he made by being so young, "Pretty cool." ... "I think it's exciting to go, and I'm excited to get there and be around all the top guys in baseball, of course. I'm just going to take it all in, try to enjoy it with the family and try to just be as mellow and calm as I can.

"I'm excited," he added. "I really am. I'm really excited to get out there and be around those kind of guys and just try to actually enjoy myself as much as I can and really take it all in."

"

Harper has not shied away from pressure thus far and will now get a chance to perform on one of baseball’s biggest stages.