Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is one of the brightest talents in MLB, but it's still too early to begin putting him in the same discussion as the greatest players ever—a point which Barry Bonds will be all too happy to remind you.
"He is a beast. [But] he doesn't compare to me yet," said the former seven-time MVP and current Miami Marlins hitting coach, per William Ladson of MLB.com. "He has a long way to go [in order to be compared] to me. He is not even close to me. But he is one hell of a ballplayer. I watch him, I admire and I look at him and I’m in awe. You don’t see that often."
If you're simply looking at how they performed through their first four years, then the two are relatively similar:
In his fifth year, though, Bonds earned the first of three MVP awards over a four-season stretch, not to mention his best work came well into his 30s. He was in his age-36 season when he broke the single-season home runs record.
Comparing any player, especially one as young as Harper, to Bonds is unfair. Even with his connections to performance-enhancing drugs, Bonds may be the greatest offensive player in baseball history. Hitters like him only come along every few generations.
As long as he keeps at his current pace, Harper will likely have had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. Baseball-Reference.com gives him a similarity score comparable to Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson and Miguel Cabrera, among a few others, through age 22.
Expecting the reigning National League MVP to reach Bonds' level may be a bit unrealistic, though.
Note: Stats for Harper and Bonds are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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