RADIO
Bryce Harper 2019 Outlook: Still A Top-15 Pick
6 years agoBryce Harper is always a top-15 player, but where he falls within the top tier of players seems to change drastically between seasons thanks to injuries and inconsistent performance. We know he is capable of being one of the best players in baseball, but he hasn’t been able to sustain that production long-term outside of the 2015 season. 2018 was a tumultuous year for Bryce Harper, who became the target of criticism after posting a .214 average and .833 OPS in the first half. His second-half was much better, as he hit .300 with a .904 OPS. Some of Harper’s struggles last season can be attributed to the shift. He had a .404 wOBA when facing no shift and a .351 wOBA when against the shift. It’s part of the reason Harper had a .289 BABIP despite a 45.1% hard-hit rate. The shift wasn’t his only problem, however. Harper also struggled against breaking balls last season hitting .189 against breaking balls in 2018 compared to a .282 average against breaking balls in 2017. Perhaps his timing was off, perhaps he was pressing after a poor first half, but the struggles against breaking balls were a problem for him last year. Breaking balls and offspeed pitches weren’t a problem for Harper in the past, so hopefully, this is a correctable issue for him heading into 2019.RotoBaller experts have him at 11th overall, while he has an ADP of 15. Whether one is willing to draft Harper depends upon one’s ability to take on risk. He’s still worthy of a top-15 pick, especially considering his new hitting environment and surrounding cast in Philly.
