About a year ago, Scott Boras met with Bryce Harper in San Diego and presented him with the "Bonds theory" over dinner.

Boras represented Barry Bonds from 2001 to '04 and told Harper he must walk to hit for power.

"If you've got 500-HR power, you need to walk to get to 700," Boras said. "Get your pitch! You might only get one a game."

Harper said others had expressed similar comments to him about the approach.

"It takes time," said Harper, said who currently is batting .265 with 10 homers, .432 on-base percentage and 1.064 OPS. "You really have to stay within yourself, really rely on your mind and your approach and know that it will work. Sometimes you get out of that and start trying to do too much. 

"You want to hit, you want to be excited, you're trying to do everything you can to help your team win. But you have to have the courage in the guys behind you, so that you know, 'Hey, if I walk and get on first base, I have all the faith and courage in Zim (Ryan Zimmerman) to get something done behind me.'"