Michael Harris II Finds Himself In Elite Company
National League Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II took the league by storm when he was called up to the Majors by the Atlanta Braves.
Along with Spencer Strider, Harris helped carry the Braves to a 101-win season and their fifth consecutive NL East division title.
Atlanta lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, but Harris’ impact on the team was monumental.
The 21-year-old outfielder hit for a .297 average with 19 home runs and an .853 OPS after his call-up on May 28.
In fact, from that day forward, Harris found himself in some elite company, having posted the third-highest WAR in all of baseball since then.
Harris had a WAR of 4.8.
An immediate impact upon call-up. #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/jbCrqhrbHv
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 10, 2023
Also on the list were stars such as American League MVP Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez, and Mookie Betts.
Only Judge and Alvarez were ahead of Harris.
And thus, Harris’ career has taken off and he has established himself as a key piece within the Braves core and one of the top players in the game today.
His breakout season was also enough to earn him a nice contract extension with the Braves, who have locked up their core of stars for the near future.
But to already be in the same company as some of the league’s brightest stars bodes quite well for Harris as he looks to follow up his impressive rookie campaign with another solid season in 2023.
The Braves are fortunate to have signed him long-term along with the rest of their core as they look to sustain their recent success.