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The Braves announced they are calling up top prospect Michael Harris II to make his major league debut Saturday vs. Miami. Harris will bat ninth in the lineup and play centerfield for his first major league game.
According to MLB Pipeline, Harris is Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect, and he is No. 59 overall in MLB. At just 21-years old, Harris hasn’t even played at AAA yet, only getting as far as 43 games in AA this year. In those games, though, he has slashed .305/.372/.506 with five home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Harris is a local kid, having grown up a Braves fan just 20 minutes outside of Atlanta. He cites Jason Heyward’s first career game and home run as a memorable moment from his childhood.
“Him being from the same area that I live in now, that was a big moment,” Harris said. “Getting a lot of comparisons to him when I was younger, it makes me feel confident about myself and feel like I can have a successful career like he has.”
Atlanta continues to look for more outfield help, and they hope Harris can give them a spark. Eddie Rosario remains on the injured list after getting laser eye surgery in April, and the team is still trying to replace last year’s World Series MVP, Jorge Soler.
Harris will probably play a lot of centerfield for the Braves as Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to recover from his ACL surgery by DH-ing more and allowing Adam Duvall to move to a corner outfield spot as well.
