What is it like for a roommate in the spring?
Bryson Stott, the Phillies’ leading pick in the 2019 draft, stays with Bryce Harper in Clearwater.
Filet mignon every night?
“No,” Stott said laughing. “But he’s an excellent host.”
Stott and Harper both come from Las Vegas and the family ties run deep. Harper played a travel ball with Stott’s older brother Brennen. Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, was there to congratulate, support and advise when Bryson Stott was selected an overall 14th place finish by the Phillies in 2019.
Back in Vegas, Stott occasionally takes batting practice with Harper and the two meet regularly at Harper’s home to watch the Ohio football games. Harper is a big fan of Buckeyes because his wife, Kayla, played football at school, and Stott adopted the team as a favorite as a youngster.
Harper, 28, called Stott, 23, one of his good friends.
“He’s more than a teammate,” Stott said. “It’s great to see him busy and watching his kids grow.”
As Harper enters his tenth major league season, Stott is a shortstop left-back and just starting his pro career. The UNLV product was about to embark on its first full professional season before the pandemic closed minor baseball in 2020.
Stott was one of the lucky ones. He had to earn some development time when he was included in the group sent to the Phillies’ aid camp in July. He taught for two months and received representatives in intrasquad games.
“It was a great growth experience, offensive and defensive,” said Stott, who is 6-2, 205 pounds.
Stott’s bat has the potential to be a striking instrument. At the help camp, he worked on using his legs more and hitting the ball with authority to all fields.
“I learned that I’m big enough and strong enough that I do not have to rely on the right field to get extra hits,” he said.
Stott, who could also play a second base, is currently in the Phillies mini-camp in Clearwater, getting ready for the new season, and could get a spin in a Grapefruit League game or two and projects around in 2021 to play in the minors. is a fast ascension to Philadelphia. The Phillies midfield situation is possible until 2022 with Didi Gregorius on shortstop and Jean Segura on second. This is not an excessive amount of time, as Stott still needs development time, and as he progresses quickly, there is nothing wrong with giving people a little heat.
Stott was asked about what advice he received from Harper.
“Play hard, work hard, have fun and if you hit, there will be a place for you,” he said.
Harper presented an extensive reconnaissance report on Stott.
“He’s a really good mix, I would say of JJ Hardy and Brandon Crawford,” Harper said. ” A man who does not make every play super flashy, but he has the arm like Crawford and is very good in the middle.
‘I would imagine he had a very similar swing – double as left and homers to right – as Garret Anderson, if I could imagine it.
“He’s a very good player and he’s going to do everything in his power to get to the big leagues, whether it’s second or shortstop. The match is not too big for him. He is very similar to a blue-collar mentality that would work in Philadelphia.
“If he pushes the envelope, I think he’s a great player, I’m really doing it. That’s what he wants to do. I want him to be here. I think he’s going to be a good balster, but he has to. “If he’s not going to work, he will not be here.”
Harper is not only committed to knowing and helping young players from his hometown. A year ago, he took Alec Bohm, a Nebraska jug, under his wing.
“That’s the one thing I noticed about Bryce, he has a kind of that big brother personality,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Bryce has been in the big leagues for a long time, but he really is not that old. I think he enjoys the leadership role. I think he enjoys mentorship. He knows what it’s like to have expectations of you, probably just as much as someone He know how hard it is to get to this level and stay at this level, and I think he has a lot of knowledge to offer to these young children, and he is not that far removed from being that young child himself.
“I love that he does it. At some point these young kids are going to come up and you want them to be comfortable when they walk into the clubhouse. Whether you’re a young player or a veteran, you’re going to to go through hard times and it really helps if you have someone you can rely on when you’re a young player. ‘
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