Secretary Of State: Bryce Harper
One of the roles that the secretary of state has in our government is to travel around the world and go to other countries as the diplomat. From a baseball perspective, I interpret that as who is the face of a particular franchise.
Despite a down year, Ryan Zimmerman locally is still one of the faces of the Washington Nationals. However, from a national perspective, I would consider that the casual fan looks at Bryce Harper as the face of the Nats.
If we take the secretary of state perspective from a more literal standpoint, than it would be tough for Harper to be in this role since he is not on the preliminary roster for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
The 2015 NL MVP had a great start to the 2016 campaign, but it all began to slow down after Harper reached base seven times in a game at Wrigley without getting a hit. Since September 1, Harper only hit one home run, which has to be alarming.
Regardless of how Harper finished his season, he is still the player that most fans wish would be in this role a few years from now if he signs a mega contract to stay in Washington D.C. for the long-term future. Plus, he is still the hitter most teams fear in this lineup.
If healthy, Harper is still one of the best hitters in the game. It remains to be seen how much the reported shoulder issues had an effect on his season. While no one should expect Harper to repeat the 2015 season every year, he still is one of the best players in baseball.