“Golf Has Woods…” Years Before Superstardom, Phillies’ $330M Star Bryce Harper Earned Comparisons to Sporting Greats LeBron James and Tiger Woods Among Others

It is often said that talent has no age bar. And when it comes to the sporting world, the quote becomes more real. Multiple sports personalities have rocked the sporting stages at a young age. It includes the likes of NBA great LeBron James and golf Legend Tiger Woods, amongst others. Though MLB has witnessed similar scenes with Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr joining the list. But there was a time when Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper surpassed other greats in his teens.

Both Rodriguez and Griffey Jr surpassed the odds with their MLB debuts in their later teens. It was an achievement. And whenever any baseball player resembled it, the comparison followed. The same was true for 16-year-old Harper, who made highlighted the greats of each sport while saying baseball is a tough affair.

A dominant 16-year-old Harper who could do all

Baseball becomes a tricky sport to master because of its competitiveness. With a less competitive spirit, there are very few chances of getting success. But for Bryce Harper, he had it all from the start. And because of it, the predictions of Harper’s dominance on the MLB stage followed. It all happened when he was in high school, but his image went beyond that.

According to vault.si.com, “When James was 16, he was a high school sophomore with an NBA game and a body to match. Harper has been compared to Justin Upton, Alex Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr., each a freakishly advanced high school player and each the top overall pick of his draft.”

Because of it, the comparison also followed him into the cross-sports ventures, “Golf has Tiger Woods, basketball has LeBron James, hockey had Wayne Gretzky, and military history had Alexander the Great, but baseball, like jazz, is a discipline that does not easily engender prodigies. But Harper say the baseball men who are paid to make such assessments, has the ability as a sophomore that the aforementioned trio had as seniors. That is why Harper—to his own approval—is best compared to James.” 

During this time Harper was being compared to other sporting icons. But the situation has changed now, and it’s Harper against whom others are being compared.

Bryce Harper, a role model for many

Harper is currently playing for the Phillies on a 330 million contract. But his MLB career started with the Washington Nationals as the 19-year-old Harper made his MLB debut in the year 2012 and has been a star since then. In his over a decade of MLB existence, he has been a part of 7× All-Star.

Read More: “.. Awful Lot of Crying” – MLB World Unites Against Philadelphia Phillies in Fight Against Umpires as Bryce Harper and Crew Fall to Poor Judgement

The two-time NL MVP has multiple awards to his name, including the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron Award. And the journey which started as a picture now has become a portrait that will continue to inspire future MLB stars. Though what are your thoughts on the story? Do you agree with Harper’s take on his comparison? Let us know in the comments below.

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