The Atlanta Braves have developed some great Major League ballplayers over the years. Ron Gant, Jermaine Dye, and Jason Heyward are just a few bros that have risen through that organization’s farm system and had successful careers. One player who is active and has been making noise for a few seasons now is Braves centerfielder Michael Harris. After playing in just 110 games last season, Harris has played in all 70 Atlanta Braves games this season with All-Star break coming in less than a month.
Harris was the third-round choice of the Braves in the 2019 draft and considering Covid knocked out the 2020 Minor League season, Harris showed off his promising skills in a very short amount of time. With a .294 batting average in Single A Ball, he was selected to be the starting centerfielder for the National League in the Futures game in 2021.
Rookie of the Year Winner In 2022
He followed the natural progression and began 2022 in Double A but his .305 batting average and the ability to play all three outfield positions earned him a callup on May 28. Harris has always taken advantage of every opportunity given to him and won National League Rookie of the Month awards in June, August, and September. If you win that award three times in a single season you should be the Rookie of the Year winner. He was and finished the campaign with a .297 batting average with 19 home runs and 64 RBI. We have to go back to 1990 to find the last bro for the Atlanta Braves who took home the honors and that would be David Justice.
2023 was the year he continued to play at a high level and established himself as the everyday centerfielder for the Braves. A .293 batting average with 18 bro bombs and 57 RBI set the pace for another National League Eastern Division championship. The Georgia native was also a Gold Glove Award finalist.
Unlike the first three Major League seasons for Harris the Braves will be deeply challenged to make the post season in 2025. Harris’ numbers may have dropped a bit but he’s the everyday centerfielder for the future. People forget he is just 24 years of age with a tremendous upside. Harris plays great defense and is a terrific base runner.
Harris’ play has picked up as of late. The team is also trending in the right direction again after a very difficult stretch that saw the club lose 14 of 17 games. After losing 10-1 to the Colorado Rockies on Father’s Day, there are still more questions than answers to this season.
When Money Mike is hot, the Braves are a force. In Atlanta’s 31 victories this season, Harris is hitting .333 with an .878 OPS. But in the team’s previous 38 defeats, Harris is slashing .153/.168/.229, which .397 OPS. In last night’s loss, Harris was 1-for-3.
Harris has been power-surging a bit as well. In the past 10 games, he has gone 11-for-38 (.289) with three extra-base hits. All three of those extra-base hits have been home runs. The center fielder has smashed two of those home runs over the past week in victories against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. Those bro bombs lifted his homer to six on the season, with 10 steals.
He’s shown what he can do, and the Braves believe he can do more of it. Playing centerfield on a daily basis is a true grind and puts a lot of wear and tear on your body. Harris is a great clubhouse guy and is committed to making both himself better and his team. He’s out there every day, just look at the box score. Through June 15, the Braves have played 70 games, and Harris has played 70 games…. all in centerfield.
