The month of May is big for graduations and life passages, so this is as suitable a time as any to look beyond the eye black and Natitude and take stock of where Washington right fielder Bryce Harper stands in his educational timeline. With each authoritative swing -- or decision to lay off a breaking pitch a hair off the corner -- Harper warrants another mention alongside some iconic figure with a plaque in Cooperstown. One day, he's on a pace to challenge Ted Williams' single-season record of 147 walks by a player in his age-22 season. The next day, he's on track to hit 40 home runs at age 22 -- an achievement that would put him in a fraternity with Joe DiMaggio, Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Johnny Bench, Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez. On a parallel track, Harper is once again matriculating among the top-shelf talents in his peer group. Late last week, FanGraphs ran a story suggesting the old Harper versus Mike Trout comparisons might not be so loony after all. The same day, on satellite radio, Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin engaged in a spirited debate on the topic, "Who would you rather have now and in the future: Harper or Giancarlo Stanton?" Ferrin chose Harper, while Duquette opted for Stanton. - See more at:http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12950936/washington-nationals-bryce-harper-taking-baseball-storm