Nationals' Harper: I'm going to bring a title to Washington
Bryce Harper, the obnoxiously talented 22-year-old with a pair of All-Star appearances on his resume already, made his long-term goals with the Washington Nationals clear Wednesday in Florida.
"I'm not done here," Harper told Mark Zuckerman of Comcast SportsNet. "I'm going to bring a title to DC, no matter what. I don't care how long it takes me."
Selected first overall in the 2010 draft, Harper has played an invaluable role in reviving the Nationals, leading the club to two division titles in his three seasons in Washington while enduring the kind of scrutiny befitting the most aggressively hyped prospect in history.
Injuries have limited Harper to 218 games over the last two seasons, but the youngster's production through the nascent stages of his career still stand out in a historical context. Harper, the National League Rookie of the Year in 2012, remains just one of 14 players to compile at least 50 home runs with an on-base plus slugging greater than .815 before celebrating his 22nd birthday.
Despite battling a thumb injury and some regression last season, Harper still helped the Nationals to a 96-66 record, though the club was ousted in the NL Division Series by the San Francisco Giants.
The scrutiny on Harper likely won't relent in 2015 as the Nationals attempt to defend their division crown, though he'll share this burden with offseason addition Max Scherzer, whose arrival in Washington inspired even more optimism in Harper.
"I just started laughing," recalled Harper. "I'm like: 'Where's my ring?'"