Last night rumors spread that the Braves may be on the verge of calling up their number one prospect. No, not Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce, outfielder Michael Harris II, straight up from AA Mississippi. Those rumors turned out to be 100% correct as Atlanta made if official, purchasing his contract while optioning outfielder Travis Demeritte down to Gwinnett after he only recorded one hit in his last 9 games.
The Player
Michael Harris II, OF
Age: 21
OFR Prospect Rank: 1
2022 Level: AA Mississippi
The Results (AA)
.305/.372/.506
129 wRC+
5 HR | 11 SB
8.7 BB %
19.9 K%
The History
Harris was the first prep school selection for the Braves in the 2019 draft, taken in the 3rd round out of Stockbridge High School in the Atlanta metro area’s Henry County. Most scouting pundits had Harris as a pitcher in pro ball, but the Braves announced him as an outfielder. Harris had long been on the Braves’ radar as he worked with former Braves Marquis Grissom and Marvin Freeman while in youth programs, and remains close with Grissom who worked with him extensively during the 2020 minor league COVID shutdown.
Harris’s first pro baseball exposure went well as he hit .349/.403/.514 in 31 games for the FCL Braves in 2019. The Braves elected to skip him right past advanced-rookie level Danville directly to then-low-A Rome for the end of the 2019 season. Harris struggled at the plate, hitting only .183/.269/.232 in 21 games in a league where the average player was 3.5 years older than he was, but he still impressed with his obvious athletic gifts and maturity. Harris put the 2020 shutdown to good use; in addition to working out with Grissom and developing his body, he was invited to the alternate training site, working with the team’s top prospects and getting hands-on instruction from the minor league coaches.
Reports of Harris’s rapid development were confirmed in 2021 spring training where he was invited to major league camp. Harris impressed big league coaches at the plate and in the field. Assigned to high-A Rome, Harris got off to a hot start, hitting .350/.374/.496 through his first 30 games. Harris only walked 5 times in those 30 games however, and teams made adjustments to take advantage of Harris’s desire to swing the bat. His next 30 days were a struggle through the hot Georgia summer as he hit only .227/.277/.370; though he still made consistent contact, it was still weak contact. Harris did eventually adjust however, and he stormed down the stretch at Rome, hitting .304/.419/.442 while finally showing the ability and willingness to take a base on balls. Harris was a Futures Game participant an also won the Minor League Gold Glove for his outfield play.
After another strong if abbreviated spring this season, Harris was assigned to AA Mississippi where he consistently has been one of the hottest hitters in the Southern League. He has had hitting streaks of 10- and 15-games in the 43 games he played, and also a ridiculous 31-game on-base streak while hitting out of the lead-off spot.
The Report
Listed at 6′-even and 195 pounds, Harris generates leverage with a strong lower half. Combined with the best plate coverage in the Braves system and Harris will regularly barrel pitches and can do so to all parts of the park. Harris also has advanced pitch recognition for his age and experience which allows his excellent hands and wrists to work and make contact on even a pitchers’ toughest pitches. Harris likes to swing the bat, but has had to learn to lay off more pitches out of the zone — even if he could get the bat on them — to avoid soft contact more often.
Harris is also a fundamentally sound player in other aspects of the game. In the field Harris has enough range to handle center field and enough arm to handle any spot on the diamond. His throws are also controlled and accurate. While he won’t make the weekly highlight reel catches that former top Braves prospect Cristian Pache brings, he more than can handle his own and should prove a stabilizing factor for an Atlanta outfield where Adam Duvall has been doing well in center but is still essentially playing out of position.
Harris is a strong baserunner as well, stealing 46 bases in 55 attempts in his minor league career, including going 11 for 14 this season for Mississippi. He regularly takes the extra base as well, and could be the smartest baserunner to come up for the Braves since Jason Heyward in 2010.
What’s Next
Ideally Harris will follow in the footsteps of other Braves prospects who successfully made the jump from AA to the majors and had long careers in Atlanta like Andruw Jones and Brian McCann. Atlanta likely would not have made this move unless they were close to certain that not only was Harris the top option to help the team’s beleaguered outfield situation, but also that his long-term development would not be hampered by the promotion.
That said, fans should expect some bumps along the way. The gap between AA pitching and major league pitching is huge. The Braves are counting on Harris’s maturity to help him keep an even keel even during tough times and stay productive in other areas, like baserunning and defense.
Time will tell if this will be true but it seems unlikely the team will want to send Harris back down. Centerfield is his for the taking. If he takes it, it will be his for at least the next six years after this.
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