Bryce Harper might be hitting just .242, but no pitcher in baseball wants to see him get hot again. So they're pitching around him, and there's nothing that the Nats' flaccid lineup can do to change that.
Harper leads the league in walks (38), earning two intentional passes on Monday night to push him to 13 more than the second-place Aaron Judge. His .451 on-base percentage ranks fourth in the league, and he is the only player in the top-20 for OBP who carries less than a .275 batting average.
Needless to say, Harper is getting a little stir crazy at the plate. With injuries throughout the lineup, Harper has no protection, giving opposing pitchers no incentive to face him. Even when he has gotten pitches to hit, his swing isn't as sweet as it could be, and he has fouled off pitches he would normally hit.
"I’m 25 years old," he told the media on Tuesday. "I want to hit."
So, the Nationals finally did something that skipper Dave Martinez said might happen during Spring Training: bat Harper leadoff.
"They’re walking him, and he’s a little frustrated," Martinez said. "But I told him, I said: 'Take your walks. Take your walks. Try to stay on the ball.' He’s getting maybe one pitch to hit, and he said today: 'I just keep fouling them off.'
"And I said: 'I know it’s frustrating. I do. But just stay with it. Things will change. You’re a good hitter. You’re one of the best hitters in the game, so just stay with it.'"
It has been nearly five years since Harper stood atop the lineup, and it had its intended psychological effect.
"It's a very creative thought," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle shrugged and told the media. "We probably won't start the game with an intentional walk."
Nor did they. But they should have considered a walk in the fifth inning.
Harper stepped to the plate in the fifth inning, and the coaches met with pitcher Chad Kuhl on the mound. On the next pitch, Harper slugged his ninth home run of the year, driving in three runs in the process.
This is why pitchers are willing to pitch around Harper.
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