Call to the pen
Fansided

Atlanta Braves aggressive in promoting Michael Harris II

By David Hill

Apr 3, 2022; North Port, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (76) hits a two-RBI single during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2022; North Port, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (76) hits a two-RBI single during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Atlanta Braves are hoping for anything to improve their lineup and jumpstart what has been a disappointing season thus far. That includes promoting one of their top prospects which is what happened on Saturday.

Michael Harris II is getting the call to the majors. He will be taking Travis Demeritte’s place on the roster after the outfielder was optioned to Triple-A following Friday’s contest.

Atlanta Braves hoping Michael Harris II will be the answer

A consensus top 100 prospect, Harris began switch hitting this season after batting exclusively from the left side prior to 2022. Although he has a tendency to expand the zone and chase pitches, Harris also hits the ball hard despite his aggressiveness. He had begun to be more selective in 2021, allowing him to tap into his raw power more frequently.

Those improvements continued this season. Harris had posted a .305/.372/.506 batting line in his 196 plate appearances at Double-A, hitting five homers and 16 doubles while stealing 11 bases. He is also showing that his strides in terms of plate discipline are continuing as well, having drawn 17 walks with just 39 strikeouts.

However, it is still an aggressive move. Harris has just those 196 plate appearances above A-ball in his professional career. He is going to be thrown into the fire with the Braves as it does not make any sense to bring him to the majors just to have him sit on the bench.

This also likely moves Adam Duvall into a fourth outfielder role. Duvall had been an important part of the Braves’ resurgence last year, leading the National League with 113 RBI. However, he has managed a meager .191/.263/.274 batting line in his 175 plate appearances entering Saturday, hardly the type of production that they had been hoping for. Chances are, Harris can perform better than that.

Next. 3 early trade targets for Braves. dark

The Atlanta Braves are bringing Michael Harris II to the majors. Even if it seems as though he is being rushed, he could end up being the answer.

Home/Atlanta Braves