Bryce Harper with local youth
The slugger at bat
Harper appeared to have all the skills as a
young boy. He outpaced all the others at
baseball camp. By the time he was playing
stellar baseball for the Wildcats at Las Vegas
High School (LVHS), he was regarded as
a consummate competitor. That’s what
teachers and coaches were saying about him
and his accomplishments. He was on the June
8, 2009 Sports Illustrated cover when he was
just 16 years old. The cover story, written
by Tom Verducci, features the headline
“Baseball’s Chosen One — Bryce Harper is the
most exciting prodigy since LeBron”.
His stats were mind-boggling. Harper hit
.625 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs in 115
at-bats for the Wildcats that season. He hit 22
doubles, nine triples and stole 36 bases. He
only struck out five times.
High schools in Las Vegas have produced
some heavy-hitting baseball alumni —
including Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux
of Valley High School and infielder Kris Bryant
of the 2016 World Series Champions Chicago
Cubs from Bonanza High School. Bryant and
Harper briefly played together when they
were both on the Southern Nevada Bulldogs.
Harper was 13 years old and Bryant was 14.
And that was just the beginning. He dedicated
his life to pursuing his dream. He left LVHS
after his sophomore year and earned his
General Educational Diploma (GED). He then
enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada
to move up his eligibility for the Major League
Baseball draft to 2010. At the time, the
decision was regarded as an unprecedented
and somewhat controversial move.
His short successful college career brought
him to the 2010 National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series. His
brother Bryan, who had been his teammate
at LVHS, was one of the Southern Nevada
Coyote’s starting pitchers and Bryce was the
catcher; a one-two battery punch.
Harper’s life then turned another corner. The
Nats had a less than stellar year in 2009 with
a 59-103 season. This afforded them the first
overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft — Bryce
Harper. While he previously played as a
catcher, he was drafted as an outfielder.
His minor league career teams included the
Scottsdale (AZ) Scorpions, Harrisburg (PA)
Senators and the Hagerstown (MD) Suns.
While with the Scottsdale Scorpions, they
team won the 2010 Arizona Fall League
Championship. In 2011, he was selected to
represent the United States in the 2011 All-Star
Future Games during the 2011 All Star Game
weekend at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
His anticipated jump into the big leagues in 2012
was an immediate success and Harper’s career
path has been a skyrocketing phenomenon. On
all counts, it’s only the beginning for this young
and gifted major leaguer.
Will this season be his best? With Bryce
Harper’s powerful swing, Nats fans are
hoping this is the year when their team with
the prized outfielder will outshine every team
in the league to bring home the World Series
Championship to D.C.
SUMMER 2017
9 FLYWASHINGTON.COM