Bryce Harper's impact is felt early

It's been an active beginning to the early season for Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper. The 22-year-old added two more hits last night, and is now 4-for-7 with a home run and an RBI through two games.

"I feel good up there," said Harper. "I just want to stay in that same zone. Just in that same feeling, not get too quick, try to have good at-bats and see where it gets me."

Harper has worked on a patient approach at the plate. On Monday, he admitted to being too amped up when he struck out with a mighty cut in a run-producing spot against Mets starter Bartolo Colon in the first inning. Harper calmed down in his next at-bat and vaporized a Colon sinker into a sea of fans well beyond the right-center field wall.

Last night, patience was the key for Harper, who again struck out in the first with a runner on but came back to single twice on two-strike pitches. The first hit came on a tough offering from Mets starter Jacob deGrom on the outside corner that Harper simply went with and fought the other way for a bouncer through the hole and into left field.

"It's important for him to do that," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "As you get older, you understand that pitches will dictate what you can do with them. When you're young and strong like Bryce, he's hit that ball down and away over the left field fence sometimes. But the frequency in which he does it is not conducive to having a high average."

"If he can hit like he's hitting, then home runs will come, doubles will come. Those are a byproduct of having a good approach and a short, quick swing. And he worked on that all spring. So he's seeing some fruits of that labor as we speak. That's good for him. The more base hits he gets, the more production he'll be able to provide for the team and the better he'll feel about it."

Harper had a slow start to the Grapefruit League season, which Williams attributed to being too "jumpy" at the plate. He settled down and pounded three majestic homers in his last 10 spring games. He knows that teams will pitch away from his damaging power, so he's learning to patiently handle his at-bats. Harper led all Nats with 15 walks during the exhibition season. Last night, Mets manager Terry Collins chose to give Harper a free pass during a two-out situation in the eighth.

"If I'm walking, I'm seeing the ball well," said Harper. "So if I get a pitch up there that I can drive, then I'll get it. But if I can just get on first with a walk, steal second, steal third, it's the same thing as a triple."

Williams thinks right field best suits Harper's speed, athletic ability and cannon-like arm. So this season he took over the position in the outfield previously occupied by Jayson Werth. Werth will move to left field when he returns from offseason shoulder surgery.

Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann and his pitching mates didn't allow an extra-base hit last night, partly due to Harper's slick plays in right. Harper ran down difficult fly balls on a windy night and twice cut off would-be doubles, one in the gap and one in the corner, firing bullets back in to second base and leaving hitters to retreat quickly back to the bag at first.

"Bryce is obviously a really good outfielder," said Nats first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. "He's learning kind of a new position, as well. As a baserunner, you have to make smart decisions. If the ball bounces back to him, or he gets it obviously before you think you have a chance, then it's not very smart to keep going. He's obviously got a great arm, but he's accurate as well. ... A huge part of our team is the defense. Having guys like him in the outfield is going to help us a lot."

The Nats need Harper to stay healthy after he missed more than 100 games over the past two seasons with various injuries. His bat is crucial to the thick of the Nats lineup and his defense can be game-changing in right field.

"I just feel good out there," said Harper. "My legs feel good. Of course, it's early in the season right now, so legs are feeling good. Feel like I can run as long as I can and get a ball. So I feel very comfortable out there. Just trying to get my reads in every single day during BP, trying to learn stuff from J.W., of course, and see how he feels out there in right. Just trying to learn some stuff every single day and see where I'm at."