Bryce Harper, right fielder, Washington Nationals
In the days since Memorial Day, essentially every conversation about Harper was around his brawl with Giants reliever Hunter Strickland and deservedly so. It was a big moment. It gave us more landed punches than we normally see in baseball fights and has triggered discussions about the unwritten rules of baseball.
In that fight, Strickland was the more responsible party. He was clearly throwing at Harper, trying to settle a three-year-old grudge. But at the same time, Harper can’t go to the mound to fight, get himself suspended and risk injury. He’s just too good and even on a loaded team, too valuable.
Harper is slashing at .328/.438/.655, has 15 home runs, 43 RBI and 44 runs scored. That puts him on pace for 47 home runs, 134 RBI and 137 runs scored.
By comparison, Harper hit .330/.460/.649 with 42 bombs, 99 RBI and 118 runs in 2015, when he won the NL MVP.
The Nationals lead the senior circuit in runs scored with 286 and trail only the Astros (292) in all of baseball. Zimmerman is having fantastic year and since the 2015 postseason, Murphy has emerged into a genuine star.
But make no mistake, Harper is the straw that stirs the drink in Washington.