Washington Nationals Win the Bryce Harper Sweepstakes . . . Maybe

With an astonishing record of 54-103 (through Wednesday) the Nationals have the dubious disticntion of clinching their back to back first overall picks of the draft. Many people think that Bryce Harper, the 17 year old prodigy from Las Vegas, Nevada might be taken with this pick. However living in Nationals / Braves country (gotta love NC), the Nationals are in need of immediate help. They may have found their ace and closer this June when they drafted Strasburg and Storen in the 2009 draft. However they need a big bat and they need it now.

Harper would be an interesting pick. He has all the hype, but from what I have seen and it really is quite limited, he is a few years away from the majors. At only 17 years old, I don’t think that is a wild statement to make. The Nationals are a franchise in free fall. After years or terrible management, the farm is not looking good, and neither are the pro ranks. Selecting Barper from a PR standpoint is a no brainer. Is is by far the most noted name in the draft and for a franchise who is struggling with it’s fan base this would be a wise move.

Truth be told, after moving into a brand new stadium, they need to start competing. They need a top flight bat in that lineup, someone who they can build a franchise around. There is little doubt in my mind that they will either select Harper or Bryce Brentz. Brentz <link> just might be the best hitter in this upcoming draft. I have had the pleasure of seeing him play many times over the summer as he trained with team USA. He has great power, can swing for average, nice speed on the base paths, would be coming out of college, and to top it off, he can pitch too (90+ MPH fastball).

I am not really a Nationals fan, but from looking at their roster and farm, they are in need of a great bat. I know they won’t be able to hold off from drafting Harper, there will be too much pressure from their fan base to draft him. I won’t lie, he is a special player. That being said, he has a lot to learn about patience and hitting in general. He’s not MLB material right now, but he will be in 2012. The big question is, do the Nationals take the biggest name in the draft (Harper) or the best talent (Brentz)?

My vote is for Brentz because the Nationals, back back to back 100 loss seasons can’t afford to wait for talent. Either way, if you thought Harper’s cards were pricing wildly high now, wait until he gets drafted.