The guy I’m looking at most is Michael Harris II. Defensively, he hasn’t missed a beat since returning from a significant hamstring injury that cost him two months. Offensively, however, it’s been a mess. He’s hitting just .218 and getting on base at a .245 clip over his last 25 games, not the kind of numbers this Braves can overcome out of the leadoff spot.
Perhaps Michael Harris II is an avid reader of SportsTalkATL, because he’s since responded with his best stretch of baseball this season, which was capped off yesterday with a 3-for-4 night, finishing just a triple short of the cycle. He also had this incredible defensive play out in centerfield.
Michael Harris is a triple away from the cycle and then he goes and does this. pic.twitter.com/bNDvSroim8
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 25, 2024
After the game, Michael Harris said, “I just feel like I am in the zone right now. It’s kinda like an out-of-body experience.”
https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1838779535954772118
“In the zone” might not be doing Harris’ recent stretch of play justice.
Since the day I wrote that original article, September 10th, Michael Harris is hitting .417 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs over his last 13 games — good for a 1.288 OPS. This is a guy some were even talking about as a dark horse MVP candidate prior to the season. Injuries didn’t help, but there’s nothing he can’t do on the baseball field. When he’s going right, he’s as good as any centerfielder in the game, and he’s going right at just the right time for the Atlanta Braves. Given all of the injuries this team has suffered, they need this version of Michael Harris the rest of the way if they want to make it to the playoffs and go on a run when they get there.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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