WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to be Bryce Harper.
Sports Illustrated cover boy at 16, No. 1 overall pick at 17, Rookie of the Year at 19. Whirlwind probably doesn’t begin to describe what Harper has experienced during the past five or six years.
Alex Rodriguez understands.
The top pick in the 1993 draft at the age of 17 after being the consensus top high school player in the country, A-Rod made his major-league debut about three weeks before his 19th birthday.
By 1996, A-Rod was a 20-year-old on his way to a batting title, leading the league in doubles and runs scored while hitting 36 home runs with 123 RBI.