Braves outfielder Michael Harris II he had four hits on Friday against the Dodgers, pushing his batting average back to .300. The 25-year-old has a career-best 139 wRC+ through 38 games. Harris, now in his fifth big league season, appears to be making good on the pedigree that got him above Atlanta’s system before his 2022 debut.
Harris was just 21 years old when he was offered the Braves’ everyday gig. He performed well in his first taste of the majors, slashing .297/.339/.514 in 441 plate appearances. He fell just one homer shy of a 20/20 campaign. Harris earned NL Rookie of the Year honors, beating out his teammates Spencer Strider.
Atlanta signed Harris to an eight-year, $72MM extension in August of that first season. It seemed like good business for both parties. Harris got a major payday after just four months as a senior player. The Braves have locked up a promising young player throughout the decade. With Ronald Acuna Jr. again Ozzie Albies and signed to long-term, cost-effective contracts, the organization had its core in place for the foreseeable future.
Harris took a small step back in the power department in 2023, but he was still 16% better than the league average at the plate. He increased his strikeout rate to 18.7%, down from 24.3% as a starter. Harris is down again in 2024. His wRC+ dipped below 100 for the first time. After two years of hitting over .290, Harris hit .264 in 110 games. He missed most of the year with a hamstring injury.
The 2025 campaign was backwards from a health perspective. Harris played a career-high 160 games. The volume helped him eventually reach his first 20/20 season. The ratio statistics were concerning, however. Harris slashed .249/.268/.409 in 641 plate appearances. His walk rate, already among the lowest in the league, dropped to 2.5%. Harris threw pitches out of the strike zone more than ever.
The game plan against Harris was pretty clear last year. The pitchers attacked him with four seamers and sinkers. Harris hit fastballs as a rookie, but started to struggle with the Heat. He posted a very poor performance -4 Run Value vs. four-seamers in 2025. The sinks were an even bigger problem. No hitter has done as badly on any pitch as Harris has against sinkers, with a league-low -17 Run Value. It was the worst mark by a Tigers midfielder Jonathan Schoop posted a -18 Run Value against four-seamers in 2022. Unsurprisingly, Harris saw sinkers at a career-high 20.9% clip.
Exploited fastballs are a huge problem at the highest level. It can be a job-saving error. Harris was on the verge of being the only gloveman stuck at the bottom of the list. He appears to have resolved his fastball issues by 2026. He is hitting .318 in sinkers this season. He also destroys four-seamers, with a .700 SLG and a ridiculous 70.6% strikeout rate. Harris does unprecedented damage, regardless of tone. He ranks in the 99th percentile for hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Harris has a solid .326 xBA and a lofty .614 xSLG.
Harris made subtle changes to his stance and set-up. He stood up from the box and approached the plate. His feet are a few inches further apart than last year. He also opened his situation by seven degrees compared to 2025. The adjustment, combined with career highs in bat speed (75.1 mph) and fast-swing rate (51.4%), produced a major barrel rate of 16.5% and a career-best 19.2% wind rate.
There are still some procedural errors here. Harris is once again chasing harder than ever. He provides 43.1% of pitches outside the strike zone, the eighth-highest mark among professional hitters. Harris’ 51% ground ball rate is the highest since 2022. And although he hit safely at a solid rate on sinkers, it was solid singles. Those are more nitpicks than major concerns, though.
A quad injury has slowed Harris, which could cost him a shot at another 20/20 season, but the power looks legit. As life permits, he should surpass his 20 home run career. The changes he’s made this year suggest he’s back to being the offensive centerpiece of a lineup that looks like one of the best in baseball.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
