Rookie Phenom’s Highlight-Reel Throw

Rookie Phenom’s Highlight-Reel Throw, Washington’s Bryce Harper makes the kind of play that can cause opposing base runners to hesitate. Bryce Harper adds to highlight reel with impressive outfield assist (Video), It doesn’t matter who the Washington Nationals have thrown in center field the past two seasons, that player has possessed an above average-to-cannon like arm.

For most of 2011 that job belonged to Rick Ankiel, who may have the strongest and most accurate outfield arm we’ve seen in the past ten years. Jayson Werth has also seen some time out there, and he certainly brings a right field arm to the position.

Well, now the center field job belongs to rookie phenom Bryce Harper, and as we’ve already seen several times this season, his arm doesn’t take a backseat to anyone. If you don’t believe me, perhaps you’ll believe Ryan Braun, who became Harper’s latest victim on the basepaths in Brewers 4-2 win over the Nationals on Friday night.

The great throw happened when Braun attempted to score on Aramis Ramirez’s single in the fourth inning. The ball slowed down considerably once it reached the outfield grass, allowing Braun to round third before Harper even picked up the ball. But 19-year-old’s arm strength more than made up for the lost time and Braun’s decent speed, as he fired an absolutely perfect live drive strike to Jesus Flores, who caught it and applied the tag at the exact moment Braun reached home.

The distance (short center field) may not be as impressive as many outfield assists we’ve written about, but the velocity and accuracy certainly were. Especially considering the urgency of the play that left Harper with little time to analyze the situation.