Blue Jays’ Rising Star Sends Phillies’ Bryce Harper Message As Concerns Mount

“It’s a lofty goal that requires extra preparation, but his coaches say he embraces the challenge,” Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote for Sportsnet. “Even for the Blue Jays, it’s something they’ve never done before — a chance to develop a talented young player while also signalling to other recruits that they’re open-minded and flexible.”

So far, the results have not been very encouraging. Smith is slashing just .162/.273/.216 in 37 at-bats and has given up two earned runs in one-and-one-third innings pitched this season. But given his age and the path ahead, he should have plenty of time to improve both in the batter’s box and on the mound.

In the meantime, he offered a reminder on the status of one of the game’s most influential major-league stars when he noted that he emulates Bryce Harper.

“I like his swagger,” the rising Blue Jays star told Nicholson-Smith. “He has that like mentality of he's the best and no one's better than him. It's kind of how I treat my game.”

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper Faces ‘Elite’ Question

While the Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger has no shortage of fans, the compliment came at a time when that mentality might be under more scrutiny than usual. The Phillies are off to a concerning start this season, with Harper facing some questions from the team’s front office about whether he can retain his “elite” status.

“Harper is a guy who was challenged by the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, after the season ended,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently recalled on FOX Sports. “Dombrowski raised the question of whether he was still elite. Harper doesn’t need motivation, but I expect him to try to be elite again.”

Even though a two-way talent like Smith might be expected to emulate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, his message about Harper was a reminder of just how many young players still idolize the Phillies star. And it was also a reminder that Harper’s confident outlook is unlikely to change following an open question from Dombrowski.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com