As the Atlanta Braves head into a crucial series against the Miami Marlins, outfielder Michael Harris II is quietly putting together one of the hottest stretches of his season. It’s easy for his recent surge to slip under the radar, especially with the team posting a so-so 9-8 record in September.
Add to that the fact that Harris’ return from the Injured List back in August was sluggish, with him batting just .192 and posting a .574 OPS in the last 13 games of the month, and many might have written him off as having a down year. But September has been a whole new story.
Since the calendar flipped, Harris has been on fire. In 17 games this month, he’s hitting a solid .276 average with an impressive .888 OPS. Even more striking is the power surge—he’s belted seven home runs and driven in 15 RBIs in those 17 games, setting a new personal best for home runs in a single month.
— Michael Harris II〽️ (@MoneyyyMikeee) September 19, 2024
For those keeping track of advanced stats, Harris has an OPS+ of 150 during this span. We can see how impactful his batting has been when compared to league averages. His power stats hit a new level in September, as his September stats translate to a mind-boggling 162-game pace of 67 home runs and 143 RBIs. This is impressive from a guy who has never hit 20 home runs in a season before.
This recent offensive burst has bumped his season OPS from .652 at the end of August to .697, a significant jump in a short span. And with nine games left in the month, there’s a good chance Harris can add a couple more long balls to his tally, possibly reaching ten homers before the month closes. That would match his season total from 2022, and if you’d asked anyone back in mid-August, few would have predicted he’d finish this strong.
But it’s not just about the power. Harris is seeing the ball better than ever, evidenced by a remarkable drop in his strikeout rate. He’s struck out in just 8.6% of his plate appearances in September. His strikeout rate is far below the league average rate of 20%.
That level of contact is something even someone like Luis Arraez, one of baseball’s purest hitters, would be proud of. While sustaining such a low strikeout rate might be unrealistic in the long run, it’s a very encouraging sign for Harris’ development as a hitter.
At just 23 years old, Harris has already proven himself an excellent ballplayer. But what we’re seeing might be the start of his true breakout. His combination of power, contact, and improved plate discipline shows the potential for a massive leap forward in the coming seasons.
And even if the Braves fall short of the postseason this year, Harris is setting the stage for something special in 2025. He’s giving the fans and the front office plenty to be excited about, as his recent performance hints at what could be a star in the making.
If Michael Harris can continue to refine his game and build on this late-season power surge, Braves fans might be looking at one of the key pieces of their future, and it’s all starting to come together right now.
