A-Rod gushes over Bryce Harper: 'I love everything about him'

If anyone understands the kind of pressure Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is under in the early stages of his promising career, it's Alex Rodriguez.

There are plenty of similarities to be drawn between the two All-Star sluggers, both first-overall picks who broke into the league before their 20th birthdays - despite being 17 years apart.

With the New York Yankees in town for a two-game series with the Nationals that kicks off Tuesday, A-Rod will get his first close-up look at Harper since 2012, though the three-time AL MVP already likes what he sees.

"I love everything about him," Rodriguez told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. "I like players that play hard. He wears his emotion on his sleeve, he's a gamer and he's a winner. As a fan of baseball, I would pay big money to watch him play - especially to watch him hit."

Rodriguez, who passed Willie Mays for fourth in all-time home runs earlier this month, has been captivated by the power Harper has demonstrated in his bat early on in his career.

"He's just so damn explosive," Rodriguez said. "For me, growing up watching Darryl Strawberry and guys like that, when he came to the plate, the stadium stopped. Same with Harper. If I'm a fan, I'm not going to the concession stand when he comes to bat. I'm going to make sure to watch his four or five at-bats because he's that type of talent."

Through first 396 career games: