Can Bryce Harper stay this hot for fantasy baseball owners?
Harper, the highly touted No. 1 draft pick from the 2010 draft, hasn’t exactly been below-average during his career. But he hasn’t been this good.
In his last seven games, Harper is 14-for-26, with 11 runs scored, seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Anyone can get hot at any moment. Maybe not seven home runs and 16 RBIs in seven games hot, but good offensive spurts can happen.
But Harper is showing the baseball world why every general manager was salivating over him when he was a pro prospect. His overall numbers for the season put him near the top for offensive players in Major League Baseball.
He’s batting .308, with 29 runs, 12 homers and 31 RBIs. He’s also tallied one stolen base. His numbers for runs, home runs and RBIs are either at the top or in the top three in the league in those categories. Although his .308 batting average isn’t at the top, it’s still above .300, giving him four statistical categories where he’s above almost everyone in MLB.
He missed 62 games last year thanks to an injury, but his numbers already, which is only a little more than a month into the season, are closing in on his overall numbers for previous seasons. During his rookie year in 2012, he totaled the most home runs in a season at 22. That year he also topped his career season mark at 59 RBIs. He’s only 28 RBIs behind that total already.
His batting average also is elevated compared to past seasons, and his on-base percentage is close to .100 points better than his best mark in his career.
Will it get better than the past seven days for Harper? It’s doubtful, but if he can remain consistent, he may end up as the best fantasy player by year’s end.
