MLB rumors: Barry Bonds says Bryce Harper isn't in his league yet
Retired baseball great Barry Bonds sure knows a thing or two about dominating the league and maybe one of the few who can tell if someone is destined to become like him in the future. While he admits outfielder Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals has the makings of becoming great, he does not believe the young player is already in the same league as he is.
In an interview with MLB.com's William Ladson, Bonds said that Harper is a beast. However, it's still too early to tell if he's going to be like him. "He has a long way to go to be compared to me," the outspoken Bonds said. "He is not even close to me, but he is one hell of a ballplayer. I watch him, I admire and I look at him, and I'm in awe," he added.
Yes, it's true that Harper is way too young to belong to any talk of greatness, but at least he's showing he's on the right track. As a matter of fact, he's progressing a lot earlier in his career compared to Bonds, who as every baseball fan knows, saw his career lit up in his 30s. Bonds went on to win three most valuable player awards before retiring, but he got the first one not after five years in the MLB. Harper on the other hand already owns one that he won last season; and the fact that he still is in his early 20s is quite exciting to think about.
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While Bonds himself will always be remembered for his run as the league's best offensive player, his legacy is nowhere close to perfection, especially after getting linked to the issue of performance-enhancing drugs in the latter part of his career.
Harper himself knows he still has a lot to prove in the league to earn the same level of distinction to that of Bonds. In an interview with The Washington Post, he said that no one's better than Bonds as a hitter. "He's somebody you idolize when you're younger," the 2012 Rookie of the Year admitted.
