Six years ago, 16-year-old Bryce Harper graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, swinging a bat in front of a desert backdrop, eye black caked on his cheeks. SI senior writer Tom Verducci introduced the world to baseball’s “Chosen One”:

Harper nearly fell off the couch one day last month when he heard a sports announcer call San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the presumptive No. 1 pick in next week’s draft, “the LeBron James of baseball.”

“What?” Harper exclaimed with playful exasperation. “Hey, they stole that from me!”

Six years later, Harper is making the same sort of brash declarations, though any playfulness is lost in translation for those who hear what they want to hear when it comes to Harper. There was backlash last month when Harper promised to bring a World Series title to D.C. and recalled thinking ‘Where’s my ring?’ after the Nationals signed Max Scherzer.

“I guarantee you we all saw what Bryce Harper said,” Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler told reporters. “He said, ‘Give me my ring.'”

Harper and Scherzer adorn the cover of one of Sports Illustrated’s four regional MLB preview editions this week, and in the accompanying feature, Verducci attempts to explain why so many people — players included — tend to criticize Harper for what he’s yet to accomplish and vilify him for the words that come out of his mouth.

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[Bryce Harper is his old brash self, and that’s good news for the Nats]

“Because you wrote a story when I was 16,” Harper says. “I mean, it’s just some of the things I do. I’m very genuine with what I say. It’s not like I go out there and I’m an ass. Maybe on the field and between the lines I am. Walking out of the clubhouse, I feel like I’m one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. If I say something it’s because of the confidence I have in my team, not because I want to be in the media attention. Maybe I’ve been hurt the past two years and haven’t lived up to everything people think I should live up to. But I’d rather piss people off playing hard than piss people off playing soft.”

Here are four more takeaways from the story, which is on newsstands now:

Harper says the Nationals have the confidence to win the World Series.

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“I truly believe if we’re hitting on all cylinders and guys do what they need to do, we’ll win, plain and simple. Am I saying that it’s going to be easy for us? No. But do we have the confidence? One hundred percent. You have to. I don’t care if you pick us to win the World Series. Every day when you get out of your car and walk into the park you better have that chip on your shoulder, that confidence to believe, We’re the best team in baseball.”

Harper wants to do damage.

Verducci points out that Harper, who is expected to bat in the middle of the lineup this season, is a career .234 hitter with runners in scoring position, including .186 with two outs. Harper welcomes the added responsibility.

“I guess there’s a little bit of pressure, but I put more pressure on myself than anybody. I’m not scared of it. I’m not scared to be the only lefty power hitter. I want to do damage. That’s what I want to do.”

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Harper wasn’t surprised by the reaction to his ‘Where’s my ring?’ comment.

“No, because it was me. Was it meant for harsh remarks? Was I going after somebody? No. Seriously, if you have a staff of five Cy Young candidates, what else are you going to say? I don’t care. If you don’t like me because I’m in the other dugout, so be it. I don’t like you, either. We’ll be friends off the field, but I want to kick your teeth in on the field no matter what.”

Count Denard Span among those who were impressed by Harper’s three homers in last year’s NLDS loss to the Giants. 

“He’s been through a lot at a young age. But I know what I saw last year in the playoffs: I saw a man. I saw someone step up and put the team on his back.”

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