May 24--PHOENIX -- Monday will mark a special reunion at Wrigley Field for Chicago Cubs' rookie Kris Bryant and Washington Nationals standout Bryce Harper.
The two players have gained special attention dating back to their youth in Las Vegas, but they took different routes on the way to the majors.
"The thing that stands out is just how good he was and how much better he was than the top competition," Bryant said of Harper, who is batting .333 with 16 home runs and 41 RBIs. "He was 11 years old and he was throwing 80 mph off the mound. It was special to see that from a guy that young and he's younger than me. But just watching him play, I was amazed. I knew that he'd be doing what he's doing at this level."
Bryant, 23, played with and against Harper, 22, on several youth teams in Las Vegas. But Bryant, who would have been drafted higher than the ninth round out of Bonanza High School in 2010 had he not stood firm in his commitment to the University of San Diego, said he couldn't have followed the same path as Harper, who left Las Vegas High School at the start of his junior year to earn his General Education Development (GED) so he could be eligible for the 2010 draft.
"I couldn't have done it," said Bryant, who was drafted by the Cubs as the second overall pick in the 2013 draft. "For me, education was important for me, so I had a plan in high school and what I wanted to do.
"We both took different paths and we're kind of in the same spot now. He's had an interesting story, and it worked out of him and I'm happy it did."
