Bryce Harper Poised for Good Second Season for Washington Nationals

Last season the Rookie of the Year in the National League went to Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. There were a lot of good things about Harper’s rookie season that led to his winning the award. What of those things does he need to improve upon to enjoy and sophomore jinx free second season?

Overall there really isn’t that much that he really can do better. He did well in the first half of the season for sure but when the pitchers had the chance to adjust, he still did fine. As a matter of fact, while some stats dropped a little bit, some went up as well. His batting average dipped a little in the second half and he struck out a little more. Power numbers were up however as he nearly hit double the number of homers and drove in more runs.

One thing he will need to improve on a little bit is his plate discipline. Considering how young he is that shouldn’t be a problem. Most players go through a natural progression where they strikeout less as they mature at the plate. If that means less power, it’s okay. It would likely mean more run production which is the main goal as an offensive player anyway.

There are a lot of positive things going on for the Nationals this season. Careful you don’t pay so much attention to that pitching staff that you ignore the players that put runs on the board. Harper is a good one and looks to have the stuff to be a good one for years to come.

David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google₊.