![]() ![]() He has the speed and instincts to steal bases, though he's still learning when he should run. Currently an above-average runner, Harper plays with youthful aggression in the outfield and on the basepaths, and his reads are getting better in both facets. He learned the importance of staying closed and using his legs when he throws, and he racked up seven assists in just 37 Double-A games after registering six in 68 games with Hagerstown. Primarily a catcher as an amateur, Harper played all three outfield positions during his pro debut. He's learning to stay under control when he throws, just as when he's in the batter's box. Harper draws plenty of walks and has the ability to be an above-average or better hitter as he matures, though some scouts think he may strike out out too much to hit for a high average. 167 average and one homer in 48 at-bats, but he hit them well at Hagerstown and shouldn't have a massive platoon split. Harper has some extra movement in his swing and sometimes jumps out on his front foot too early, but when he stays down and lets the ball travel, he sees pitches well and can drive them hard to the opposite field. ![]() He has incredible strength in his hands and generates enormous torque in his lefthanded swing, allowing him to smash massive drives to all fields. Harper's power and arm strength both rate as 80s on the 20-80 scouting scale. A hamstring injury cut his season two weeks short, but he recovered in time to head back to the AFL. He got his first taste of adversity after skipping to Double-A Harrisburg at midseason, enduring a 1-for-25 slump, but bounced back to finish with respectable numbers. He made his official pro debut as an 18-year-old in low Class A last April, and tore up the South Atlantic League in the first half. After being selected first overall that June and signing a $9.9 million major league contract-the largest ever given to a position player in the draft, and which included a $6.25 million bonus-Harper got his feet wet in the Arizona Fall League. After establishing himself as a can't-miss phenom early in his high school career, Harper earned his general equivalency diploma and skipped his final two years at Las Vegas High so he could enroll early at JC of Southern Nevada, where he won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top amateur player in 2010. The most hyped position-player prospect in baseball history, Harper has met or exceeded sky-high expectations at every stop in his short career. Perhaps the biggest question now is: Is it possible for him to live up to the hype? He's seeking to break Stephen Strasburg's record bonus, and that certainly won't reduce the hype or the pressure. He's received more attention and unfounded criticism than any amateur player in years. Harper has done some incredible things on a baseball field, like hitting 500-foot home runs, throwing runners out at first from the outfield, and scoring from second base on a passed ball. Others think he will either outgrow the position or that his bat will be too good to hold back, so a team will want to move him to the position that gets him to the big leagues the fastest-either third base or right field. Scouts are also split on where he'll end up defensively. Harper also has 80 raw arm strength on the 20-80 scouting scale, but he needs to shorten up his arm action for it to play better behind the plate. Others believe in his exceptional hand-eye coordination and expect him to calm down his swing in pro ball, figuring. Some believe his exaggerated load and ferocious swings will cause him to strike out 125-140 times a season and keep his average around. He has top-of-the-scale power, but scouts have differing opinions about what kind of hitter he'll be. The school record for home runs was 12, set when the school still used aluminum bats. Over his 180 regular-season at-bats, the 17-year-old hit. After Harper skipped out on his final two years of high school to enroll in a wood-bat junior college league, even his biggest supporters probably would have underestimated how he would perform this season. ![]()
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