It can be feast or famine at times for Michael Harris II, but he’s managing to finish the season on a high note. Over his last 11 games, the Atlanta Braves centerfielder has turned the corner once again.
During that span, he’s batting .340 with two home runs and six RBIs. He’s back to looking like one of the top hitters in the game once more.
It’s a full bounce-back from the 1-for-34 streak he was on in the previous 10 games. It isn’t ideal that he can look so good and then dry up as much as he does. However, to his credit, he’s on the upswing much quicker.
The roller-coaster season can still see him finish with some respectable numbers. He can still finish with 20 home runs and reach 90 RBIs if he can keep this up for one more weekend.
When the season comes to an end, he’ll at least be able to say he turned the corner and returned to be a key bat in the lineup.
“He doesn’t have to be [at] 30 [home runs] and 100 [RBIs] every year to be a winning player,” manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday night. “No, he could be a part of a really good lineup.”
There’s no arguing that Harris has a ways to go in his development, even as an established, everyday ballplayer. Plate discipline could still be better. The walk rate of 2.6% this season needs to improve. We know it can be better. Normally, he’s drawing a free pass at a rate of over 4.5%.
His strikeout rate remained comparable to last season. He just bit more at pitches that drew weak contact, whether it be popping one up to second base or rolling over a pitch for a ground out.
The change in the stance was a good start. Harris is bringing his hands to the ball quicker. If his pitch selection gets back to where it was in seasons past, he could be the lethal ballplayer we’ve seen him be consistently.
It will make for a perfect complement to the high-caliber defense he puts on display day in and day out at the centerfield position. It made him a top player at that position in the game before. An improved bat could rocket him higher up the list.
Health was also a non-issue this season, meaning he had the chance to work through these troubles instead of sitting out for extended periods of time.
As the season winds down, it’s worth remembering that next year will only be Harris’ age-25 season. You could argue that he’s not even in his prime years yet, and he’s ironing out the raw talent he brings to the table.
He’s learned a lot this season with the highs and lows, and that can be taken into the offseason for preparation for 2026. Having ups and downs will forever be the reality of any ballplayer, but he’s in a position to find more consistency.
