A lot will be expected of Bryce Harper as he enters his second full season with the Washington Nationals. To help prepare for the upcoming year, Harper reportedly put on about 20 pounds over the winter. He belted 22 home runs in 139 games last season, but a rigorous workout regimen could have that number on the rise in 2013.
“I take a lot of pride in my workouts,” the 20-year-old told James Wagner of the Washington Post. “I work as hard as I can to get ready for the season.”
How did he do it? Harper, who said the World Series is the No. 1 thing on his mind entering this season, began lifting again in the middle of November. He set his alarm for 4:50 a.m. four mornings a week during the winter and was at Soder’s training facility in Las Vegas by 5:30. There, he would go through intense workouts that lasted between 90 minutes and two hours, which he said helped him to clear his mind.
As for eating, Harper is still a 20-year-old kid. He acknowledged that he will probably lose 10 pounds by the time spring training is over, and said he hasn’t gotten to the point in his career where he needs to be on a strict diet.
“I just eat as much as I can,” he explained. “I don’t really care. I don’t really have a diet. I’m still going to eat Fruity Pebbles and Captain Crunch and all these cereals at 12 o’clock at night. I don’t really care.”
I highly doubt he eats as much as this Seattle Mariners prospect, but it’s certainly nice to be young. Harper’s metabolism is still fresh and he plays baseball for a living, which means counting calories is hardly a necessity at his age. Whether or not his offseason bulkage contributes to more extra-base hits remains to be seen. With what we know about Harper’s work ethic, you’d be silly to bet against him.
Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE
