Longhorns recruit Cooper Harris signs first MLB deal with Nationals

Jamie Gatlin, Longhorns WireMon, July 20, 2026 at 5:10 PM UTC·2 min read

Less than two weeks after being drafted, Longhorns recruit Cooper Harris has signed his first MLB deal with the Washington Nationals. The talented right-hander and the Nationals agreed to a $1.5 million deal on Sunday. Now Harris can focus on starting his professional career for an organization on the rise.

In Harris, Washington is getting a player with a unique pitch-mix. The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at 96 miles per hour and sinks out of the zone. He can also keep hitters off balance with a slider in the low 80's. At the high school level, hitters struggled to barrel up those pitches.

While Harris is still years away from his MLB debut, he is coming off a promising high school career. In his last season for Flower Mound High, the fourth-round pick posted a 0.49 ERA in 70.1 innings. He also struck out 94 batters and walked just 18. Due to his success, Harris was ranked as the 76th best player in the draft.

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For the second straight year, players with Longhorns ties were popular during the draft. Fellow signee Grayson Emerson was drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. Former Texas stars Aiden Robbins, Thomas Burns, Cody Howard, and Ruger Riojas also heard their names called. That has given the Longhorns faithful plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Although many in Austin were excited to see Harris in the burnt orange, they will be closely watching how he moves through the Nationals system. He has impressive stuff for an 18-year-old and should continue to improve as he gets stronger and more experience. If that happens, the Nationals will have a special pitcher in their rotation for years to come.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns recruit Cooper Harris signs first MLB deal with Nationals