( CNN ) -- He 's brash , bold and has the skills to back it up . 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper is less than a month into his baseball career with the Washington Nationals , and he 's already making his presence felt in the nation 's capital . With high-profile magazine covers and international baseball experience already on his resume , the Nationals are looking to Harper to be one of their building blocks as they try to put Washington baseball on the map . Even though he 's only batting .227 , he 's hit two home runs and has displayed a rocket for an arm . `` He seems to have been born to be this baseball player , '' said Thom Loverro , a columnist for the Washington Examiner and a radio show host on ESPN 980 in Washington . `` He takes the game so seriously when he 's on the field . '' Harper 's attention to detail and approach to the game even has baseball icons taking notice . `` Bryce obviously has the skills to play in the big leagues , '' said baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. , `` But I am amazed with his poise and his patience at the plate . And I love his aggressiveness on the base paths . He is going to be a good all-around player . '' Former Washington Senators slugger Frank Howard says he 's seen enough already . `` You might suppress that young talent for a week , a month , maybe two months , '' he said . `` He can beat you five ways . Bat contact , bat power , glove , arm strength and running speed . '' Harper , a Las Vegas native , has always shown talent beyond his years . When he was 12 he was playing in out-of-state tournaments and once went 12-for-12 with 11 homers . When kids his age were playing high school baseball he was playing in tournaments around the world . Now , while most of the top players his age are playing college ball or working their way through the minors , he is already in the major leagues . Playing in the majors has n't curtailed the 6-foot-3-inch , 210-pound Harper 's confidence . Barely a week into his big league career , Harper was hit in the back by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in a nationally televised game . Harper said nothing and jogged to first base . He ended up stealing home . `` I liked the way he handled the whole situation , '' said Ripken `` He downplayed getting hit but you could see in his eyes that he was determined to pay back the Phillies where it matters most ... by doing something in the game . In this case it was stealing home . '' SI : Bryce Harper photo gallery . Bold plays like that and winning baseball have n't been a big part of Washington baseball history . The Nationals have never finished with a winning record since moving from Montreal ( they were formerly the Expos ) in 2005 . Poor play and embarrassing moments were the norm . In one game then-first baseman Adam Dunn and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman trotted out on the field wearing a Nationals jersey that had been misspelled and read `` Natinals . '' The Nationals are actually the third incarnation of baseball in Washington . The original Washington Senators were there from 1901-1960 , before leaving for Minnesota and becoming the Twins . Baseball gave the city another Senators franchise in 1961 and that team left for Texas in 1971 to become the Rangers . Washington has n't seen a World Series since 1933 . This generation of Washington baseball fans are looking ahead and like their team . `` Who has n't suffered from growing pains ? '' asked Brendan Hurley , a native of the Washington area and a season ticket holder . `` The best way to ensure they do n't become a punch line again is to win , '' he said . So far they are winning . They open an interleague series tonight against the Baltimore Orioles , who play less than an hour up Interstate 95 from Washington . They are just a half-game out of first place in the National League East , and , to give the series more life than Washington-area baseball fans are used to , the Orioles are also surprisingly in first place after years as American League East doormats . Harper has been preparing for this stage all his life . He not only has honed his skills on the field but off the field as well . `` He respects the history of the game , '' said Loverro . `` When he 's on the field he plays the game and knows the game like he 's a 10-year veteran ... and that 's pretty amazing for a 19-year-old kid . '' Harper idolizes old-school baseball players , and he 's been compared to all-time great Willie Mays , who also debuted at 19 . When Harper joined a softball game being played by the Washington Monument , it evoked memories of a young Mays playing stickball on the streets of New York in the 1950 's . Casual softball games , YouTube clips and magazine covers will only go so far in the major leagues though . `` The American people love winners , '' Howard said , `` If you win you 're gon na draw . If you do n't win , you 're gon na struggle putting fannies in the seats . ''
Bryce Harper is less than a year into his professional career with the Washington Nationals . The Nationals are banking on the 19-year - old to put their baseball on the map . Most top players Harper 's age play for college or the minors , he 's already in the majors . A baseball history buff , Harper idolizes baseball legends ; he 's been compared to Willie Mays .