Bryce Harper admits he’s ‘pretty lost right now’ at plate

Bryce Harper received the day off Sunday to clear his head following a poor start to the season.

Harper, the 21-year-old Nats’ phenom, is only 3-for-21 this season (.143) with 1 walk and 10 strikeouts in five games.

“I mean, I’m pretty lost right now, actually,” Harper said Sunday via Nats Insider. “I’m trying to see where my swing’s at, watch video of where my hands are. I’m trying everything right now. We’ll see where I’m at tomorrow. Give pops a call and see what he says, also.”

Harper doesn’t have an extra base hit or RBI this year, which is a clear sign something is off; he’s a slugger and expected to put up big power numbers.

But Harper has slumped in the past and this is obviously a slump to the season. And if you’re looking for something to blame, it could be that his head hasn’t been right since this incident on the bases on opening day. Harper passed concussion tests, but it may have messed with him.

All in all, you like to see your hitters start off the season well. The general pattern for hitters who start off well is good start -> cool down/slump -> get hot again. But if you start off slowly, the pattern is often reversed, and it’s hard to put up great numbers. Harper will be fine this year, but he might not be spectacular.