When Bryce Harper dropped out of high school and got his GED after his sophomore year, many people called him crazy. Why would the youngster skip two of what many call "the best years of your life" to be draft-eligible a year early, especially when he was a practical lock as the first pick no matter when he was first eligible.
Looking back at it—while I don't agree with the choice—it was good decision for his future. Harper played for the College of Southern Nevada, a team in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.
Everything seems simple enough, right? What many didn't seem to realize while they were bashing his decision was that the SWAC uses wood bats during their conference games, giving Harper a jump that he didn't need over every other prospect.
Harper shattered every record that the school has, hitting .443/.526/.987 with 31 homers and 98 RBI. Not exactly struggling for the Conference Player of the Year.
All it did was prove that Harper was an elite prospect that wasn't made better than we thought because he was using an aluminum bat.
It also raises this thought for major league scouts: Would it be easier to scout college players if they used wood bats?
Here are some reasons why it would be.
- Login to post comments