Bryce Harper showing smarts on offense and defense as he looks to play full season with Nats

It happens to young players looking to prove they belong on the big stage and have the ability to play with the big boys.

Steven Souza Jr. did it last season, a sickening collision with the outfield wall in Atlanta. Bryce Harper did it at least twice, once against the Dodgers and once against the Braves. Both went after long fly balls that appeared to be impossible to catch. But they went for it. On all three plays, the player was injured or shook up pretty good.

Then on Sunday in Nationals Park, Harper tracked a long fly ball that appeared to be going over his head in right field. Instead of trying to make a circus catch high off the immovable wall, Harper turned quickly and played the ball carom. Harper threw the ball back to the infield. He was fine, not sacrificing his body for a low percentage play. He appeared to have learned that it's not worth going after every ball and trying to turn every single fly ball into an out.

He instead relied on his pitcher and the rest of the defense to make a play with the next batter to end the threat. Phillies outfielder Jeff Francouer stood at second base after the double in the ninth with one away. Drew Storen struck out the next two batters to end the game. Harper had a three-run lead in the ninth when Francoeur hit the ball. No reason to try to do too much in that situation. He has learned he doesn't have to force things.

"I take a lot of pride in my defense," Harper said Sunday. "Just trying to be the best right fielder that I can. If I'm not hitting, I don't want them to get a hit either."

He credited his conversations with Denard Span, Jayson Werth and first base coach Tony Tarasco. Tarasco was the outfield coordinator for the Nationals for many seasons. They all helped Harper gain some knowledge about how to improve defensively in right field.

And after getting tossed by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson earlier in the week, Harper talked about how much it hurt to not be able to finish the game, leaving so early in the third inning, and not being able to "help my team win."

Harper also spoke of being with the Nationals for five years now. He started with 72 games for low Single-A Hagerstown in 2011. Now he is in his fourth season with the Nationals. He has played less games each season since with the big club: 139 in 2012, 118 in 2013 and 100 in 2014.

But Harper has played 44 games this season with the Nationals and is showing no signs of slowing down. He is taking care of himself and showing his baseball smarts, not only on defense, but at the plate.

On Sunday, he didn't hit a home run, but had critical at-bats in which he plated a run and then added a critical couple of runs. One run scored on Harper's muscled base hit over third base and down the line, and Harper then scored on a Ryan Zimmerman double to extend the lead to three.

On Harper's first two at-bats of the day? A single and a walk. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. He also had a 9-6 outfield assist that erased a base hit for Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp.

His highest single-season record for homers in the majors was 22 in those 139 games in 2012. He already has 16 homers in 44 games this season. Playing smart and protecting his body, plus making pitchers work deep into counts with each at-bat, Harper appears primed to shatter his own single season marks in his fourth major league season.

Pretty good for a 22-year-old "kid".

"He's not a kid, he's a man," shortstop Ian Desmond said earlier in the week.

Indeed he is.