Nationals' Scherzer on Harper: 'The scary part is he still has room for improvement'

Over the past few weeks, Bryce Harper muscled his way into the annals of baseball history, his vicious swing launching baseballs over the fence, seemingly on a daily basis, with the same kind of fervor that characterizes his signature hair-flips.

Harper, the prodigal son of contemporary baseball, has clobbered 11 home runs in 22 games since the calendar flipped over to May. It was less than two years ago that Harper earned the right to legally consume alcohol in the United States, but the Nevada native still managed, somehow, to compile a .918 slugging percentage this month.

No player age 22 or younger has slugged .900 for an entire month in almost eight decades. The last player to do it, though, was married to Marilyn Monroe and has a plaque with his name on it in Cooperstown.

Harper's recent onslaught has challenged the limits of historical precedent. According to one of his teammates, however - one with the kind of credibility that a Cy Young award engenders - the precocious outfielder could be even better.

"Bryce is a better hitter now than he was even at the beginning of the season," Max Scherzer told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. "When you start to see him use the opposite field with power, that's the kind of elite stuff I saw in Detroit (with Cabrera). The scary part is he still has room for improvement. It's like he's starting to understand the game at a higher level."

Harper's largely unprecedented display this past month makes sense in a way, though. No amateur in history, after all, received the kind of attention Harper earned in his formative years, when he was ripping balls off the back wall of Tropicana Field as a teenager.

"I don't want this to sound the wrong way, but I've always had the spotlight, so it's never bothered me," Harper said. "I've always been under the microscope, so it's never been a problem for me. I've always just taken it in and said, 'OK, this is how it's going to be.'"

With his potential bandied about in baseball circles for so long, Harper can empathize with players with Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson, a pair of highly touted prospects thriving under considerable pressure in 2015. Harper, by the way, is nine months younger than Bryant and six months younger than Pederson.

Despite his recent explosion, though, Harper remains deferential. He leads the majors in wins above replacement. His name can be found atop almost every significant offensive statistic. He could become the first player to lead the National League in home runs and walks since Barry Bonds. As for his work in right field? The best in the majors this season, according to Defensive Runs Saved.

Still, he doesn't think he's the best player on the planet.

"Baseball is always, 'What have you done for me lately?'" Harper said. "That's just how the game works. I still believe (Mike) Trout is the best player in the game, hands down. It's not about taking a backseat to anybody. I love seeing (Giancarlo) Stanton hit homers or Kris Bryant do the things he does. I love watching Matt Harvey or Gerrit Cole or Noah Syndergaard come up and throw 100 mph. I cheer for guys. I've always been that way."