Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is one of the best young players in baseball. He has been an All-Star both of his seasons in the major leagues. He took home the Rookie of the Year Award in 2012.
Prior to breaking into the big leagues, we heard how great Bryce Harper would be and that he’s one of those “once in a generation” talents. The 21-year-old may turn out to live up to his advance billing, but for now he’s entering just his third season in the majors.
Time will tell the career path of Harper. At present, there are more than a few who feel he’s overrated. Included in that group are some of Harper’s peers.
In a feature that appears in ESPN The Magazine’s MLB Preview Issue, 143 anonymous players were interviewed on various topics. Among them, the most overrated player. Harper received the most votes with 24%. Yasiel Puig came in second (21%) and Alex Rodriguez was third (14%), because apparently there are people who still think highly of Alex Rodriguez as a baseball player.
Rodriguez’s New York Yankees grabbed the top spot for most over-hyped team, receiving 44% of the votes. The Los Angeles Dodgers (13%) and Los Angeles Angels (12%) followed.
There are few interesting responses documented in the piece, like how much more than Miguel Cabrera one player would pay Mike Trout. And, the Houston Astros received the second highest percentage of votes for most underrated team, ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, and Kansas City Royals.
