Harper attended Las Vegas High School but opted to accelerate his academic path, earning his General Educational Development (GED) certificate in October 2009 after his sophomore year. This made him eligible for the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur draft, allowing him to begin his professional baseball career at the age of 17.

In 2010, Harper enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada, a school affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Playing as a catcher, he had an outstanding collegiate season and was named the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.

Professional Career and Achievements

Initially a catcher, Harper was selected as an outfielder by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft to help expedite his development and prolong his career. He was represented by agent Scott Boras and signed a five-year contract worth $9.9 million, which included a $6.25 million signing bonus and coverage of college tuition for eight semesters.

Harper made his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2012. That same year, he earned the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award. In 2015, he experienced a breakout season, winning the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award by unanimous vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He also received the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award that year, highlighting his offensive excellence.

In 2011, Harper represented the United States during the All-Star Futures Game. On April 14, 2016, he hit the first grand slam of his career, which also marked his 100th career home run, in a game against the Atlanta Braves. On May 8, 2016, he became the first player in nearly 100 years to reach base seven times in a game without recording an official at-bat—a rare feat in MLB history.

Harper has often been mentioned in discussions about record-breaking contracts and was widely speculated to be a candidate for the first $400 million deal in professional sports, although that milestone has not yet occurred.