Harper hits ground running with Nationals’ Class-A team
ROME, Ga. -- Calling it a "blast," No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Harper of Las Vegas made a successful debut in pro baseball with the Washington Nationals' Class-A team Thursday.
The 18-year-old Harper, who left Las Vegas High School two years early and starred at College of Southern Nevada, had an RBI single in his first at-bat for the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns against the Rome Braves in the South Atlantic League opener.
Harper then stole second base. He finished 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
"I had big butterflies going out there tonight, but after that first pitch was thrown, I felt really good and felt really solid at the plate," he said.
Harper, who hit .319 in the Arizona Fall League, received a smattering of applause when he was introduced pregame before the announced crowd of 4,133.
He singled to shallow center field on a full-count offspeed pitch in the first inning.
Harper added another hit in the third inning, when he bunted down the third-base line with a runner on first. The pitcher missed the ball trying to field the bunt, and Harper was safe at first. He was later caught stealing, but the play allowed the runner from third to score.
"If I can lay one down and get a runner over ... it helped us out, and that's all that matters to us," Harper said.
Harper, a converted catcher, played right field. He struck out and grounded out in his other at-bats and the Suns won, 3-2.
"I tried to go up there and get my pitch to swing at and they got me in my third at-bat and fourth at-bat, so I've got to learn from those two times and hopefully get a couple of more hits tomorrow," he said.
"It's a blast. It's everything that I've ever wanted to do. I'm here to work hard, and I'm here to win."
Harper stood out when he came onto the field for warmups, because he was the only player wearing stirrups and orange-and-black shoes.
He hit several balls well over the right-field fence during batting practice, with some shots clearing the wall and heading toward the parking lot.
He signed a $9.9 million contract after the Nationals picked him, the biggest payday for a drafted position player.
