Bryce Harper: In a Class of His Own? Not so Fast

Bryce Harper has achieved a status all of his own since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior.  

Harper has not disappointed in meeting his high expectation thus far (.396/.472/.712, 8 HR, 26/16 K/BB in 31 games).

However, one could question if Harper is in a league of his own, so to speak.  Below are some players which one could argue are in the same class, or maybe better then Harper.  

Particularly, the man drafted after him last year—Manny Machado.

Manny Machado

Manny Machado was drafted by the Orioles with the third pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, and was the second hitter drafted overall, after Harper.

Both players were considered the top two hitters in the draft, but Harper was the unanimous No. 1 pick.

Machado has torn apart A ball this season at 18 (he turns 19 in July). His .333/.450/.611 line, teamed with 5HR, 14/19 K/BB in 25 games is impressive.  

It is nearly equally impressive as to what Harper has done in the same league, as Machado's production is similar, and comes from the shortstop position.

Additionally, Harper has faced more advanced pitching than Machado, due to him playing JUCO ball while bypassing his senior year of high school.  

Machado and Harper are both 6'3", and Machado's position prevents him from bulking up to Harper's size (185 pounds and 225 pounds, respectively).  

However, as Machado continues to physically develop and add weight to his frame, along with development as a hitter, his power stroke should result in production that mimics Harper's.

Mike Trout

Mike Trout burst onto the scene last year with gaudy numbers that displayed his full 5-tool arsenal. He has not let up in Double-A this year, at only the age of 19.  

His line is .327/.415/.614.  He is nowhere near the pace to match his 56 SB mark from last year, as he only has swiped five bags so far through 27 games.

However, Trout is probably the most well-rounded under-20 prospect in baseball. 

Miguel Sano

Miguel Sano has not faced the level of competition that Harper, Machado and Trout have faced, but Sano, who turned 18 on May 11th, put up impressive numbers as a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast Rookie League and Dominican Summer League (.307/.379/.491, 7HR, 60/24 K/BB in 61 games). 

No one knows if Sano will remain at third base when his physical development is through, or whether he will be moved to the outfield.  But, Sano, like Harper, Machado and Trout, has a strong chance to appear in the Major Leagues before reaching the age of 21.

Oswaldo Arcia

Sano isn't the only Twins prospect flashing their high ceiling potential.  Arcia emerged as a top prospect last year in the Appalachian League.  This year, at 19, his progress as a hitter has continued in A ball.  He is batting .352 with an OBP % and SLG % of .450 and.704, respectively.  He also sports a 16/9 K/BB ratio through 20 games.  Arcia is probably the most underrated and unknown of these prospects, but that is likely to change when prospect rankings come out next year.