Bryce Harper Isn’t Concerned With Comparing Himself to Mike Trout

Bryce Harper Isn’t Concerned With Comparing Himself to Mike Trout

Rookies Bryce Harper and Mike Trout made for some exciting Major League Baseball storylines a year ago and they aren’t going away anytime soon. Whereas some young stars in pro sports compare their numbers to others as they get going, Harper says he hasn’t preoccupied himself with Trout’s numbers given that they play in different leagues and on different coasts.Bryce Harper joined 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. with the Junkies to discuss how his spring training is going so far, playing for Davey Johnson, what he’s looking to improve on this year and if he ever compares his games or numbers to those of Mike Trout.

How has spring training gone up to this point?:

“It’s been going good. I’m just trying to get out here and get some work in and really learn a new position, left field, and work with Denard Span in center, just to see how he gets to the ball, and the routes he’s going to take. … I’m just really trying to have some fun out here while we do it. We’ve got two and a half weeks left, so we’re getting pretty close to opening day. We’re all excited for that.”

What’s it like playing for a laid-back manager like Davey Johnson?:

“He just lets you do your thing. He’s got his club and he’s got his squad that likes to go out there and do their thing, get their jobs done, get their work in, and he doesn’t really have to worry about any of us. We want to go in there and really get our stuff in … and having Davey be able to give us something here and there is good. He’s been in the game for a long time, so he expects us to get our work in and do things the right way.”

What are one or two things that you personally wanted to accomplish to take your game to the next level?:

“Just try to get better reads in the outfield, do some things out there. Steal a few more bags and try to get better on the base paths. Hitting-wise, just try to do the same thing I did last year, but not have that month and a half where you struggle. … The main goal is getting to the World Series and doing things the right way so we can further ourselves in the playoffs and try to get that ring at the end of the year.”

Do you have a sort of attitude with Mike Trout that you feel you have to match what he’s doing?:

“Trout’s a great player. He’s in a different league and he’s on the west coast. I’m not really worried about what he’s doing. We made it to the playoffs, and I think that was our biggest goal. That was my biggest goal. … He’s going to have a great career and has a lot of good things ahead of him, but I’m just getting going, that was my first year last year, and hopefully I can do things the right way and have some good numbers.”