The first team to derail Bryce Harper wins a prize.
Maybe the Mets triumvirate of Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Matt Harvey, who are scheduled to pitch in succession beginning Thursday in Washington, can at least make the Nationals’ all-universe player appear mortal.
Some numbers to digest, in small sample sizes: Harper will enter play in his team’s home opener with a .517 on-base percentage, 1.333 slugging percentage four homers and nine RBIs in six games.
Harper’s wild start included a stretch of eight straight plate appearances in which he either homered or walked. The Braves held Harper hitless in three at-bats on Wednesday, but he still managed two walks. Harper walked seven times in the three-game series in Atlanta.
So look no further than Harper, in his final season before hitting free agency, as the biggest reason an already talented Nationals lineup is extremely dangerous.
“He’s got so much talent and he can do everything that he wants to on the baseball field,” Jose Reyes said. “With a guy like that there is nothing really you can do. Hopefully you have him when he is struggling. But it seems like he almost never is struggling. When he is struggling he takes walks. It’s kind of hard with a player like that.”
Of course, if the Mets get too preoccupied with Harper, a lineup that includes Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and Ryan Zimmerman can inflict damage. Public Enemy No. 1 for the Mets, Daniel Murphy, underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee last October and remains sidelined.
“You have to be aggressive [with Harper] and you have to get ahead,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “If he’s going to beat you, you have to make him do it early in the count. We have to pick our spots and make sure a guy like that doesn’t beat us when we go in there.”
Is a strong showing against the Nationals important to start the season?
“That would be nice,” Callaway said. “I don’t think our season hinges on that, but our team is ready to go show them that we’re going to be someone to compete with.”
DeGrom will get first crack at Harper and the Nationals, followed by Matz on Saturday — there is an off-day Friday following Washington’s home opener — and Harvey in the series finale Sunday night.
“We have to go on the field and win every series, against every team,” Yoenis Cespedes said. “So far the season is short, so it’s kind of early to talk about [Washington].”
What about Harper’s monstrous start?
“That’s not a secret for anybody,” Cespedes said. “What he is doing right now, he has been doing it every year.”
As much as the Mets respect Harper they also realize their pitching staff is more than capable of handling the former MVP.
“We’re pitching deGrom [on Thursday] and he’s one of the best in the league,” Reyes said. “It’s never easy when we go to Washington. They obviously have a very good ballclub, but we feel very good about our ballclub.
“[Harper] is a great ballplayer and I love watching him play, because he plays the game hard every day and he’s still only 26. He’s a special kid and you don’t see those kind of talent too often in the big leagues.”
