The name Bryce Harper and the words "contract year" always had an intriguingly ominous ring.
A week and change into the 2018 MLB season, they've had an ominous outcome as well. Not for the Washington Nationals, nor for Harper's bank account.
But certainly for opposing pitchers.
As he marches toward what could be the most lucrative winter for any player in baseball history, Harper looks like a man on a mission.
Check out this sequence in a game between the Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. It's indicative of how locked in Harper is and how accustomed opposing fans have become to him playing the role of beloved villain:
Washington Nationals1.