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Golden Spikes Sports Illustrated put Harper on its cover when he was 16, calling him the most exciting prospect in sports since Lebron James. At 17, Harper left high school after junior year with a GED, making him eligible for the next year’s draft. In the meantime, he decided to terrorize the pitchers in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for one season. Harper signed on to attend the College of Southern Nevada, where he continued to thrive under intense scrutiny. In his season with the Coyotes, he drove in 98 runs in 66 games, with 31 HRs. The previous school record for HRs was 12. After continuing to crush the ball in the NJCAA playoffs, Harper was named the 2010 Golden Spikes award winner, an honor given to the best amateur

player in the country. So, it was no surprise later that year when Washington took Harper with the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Harper hits a HR while playing for Southern Nevada in 2010.

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Bryce Harper