The Atlanta Braves won’t be playing in October, but Michael Harris II still gave fans something to cheer. On Friday in Pittsburgh, the 24-year-old crushed his 20th home run of the season, locking up a 20/20 year for the first time in his career. Twenty homers, twenty stolen bases — that’s a line that says “I’m here,” even in a season that ended without a pennant race.
Strong Finish After a Bruising Year
Let’s be honest: 2025 was rough. Atlanta was eliminated earlier this week, snapping seven straight postseason runs. But Harris’s late surge put a little shine back on things.
The Braves ripped off 10 straight wins before dropping Friday’s game, and they’ve taken 10 of their last 12 overall. That doesn’t erase the injuries, the inconsistency, or the empty October schedule — but it does matter. It shows fight.
Teammates Notice the Shift
Inside the clubhouse, there’s been a different feel. Austin Riley called it the “free-ness” of just playing baseball without the weight of standings. You could see it on the field — swings looked looser, players played with more bounce.
Spencer Strider added his own perspective: adversity is a given in this game. “It’s going to happen,” he said. For him, the real test is how a team handles it. And the Braves, after months of frustration, finally looked like they remembered how.
Harris Finds His Identity
For Harris, the homer meant more than a number in the box score. “This gives us an identity,” he said. That line might stick with Braves Country. Identity is what was missing most of 2025 — the swagger of a lineup that once bullied pitchers, the dominance of a rotation that was supposed to set the tone.
A 20/20 season doesn’t solve all of that, but it’s a reminder that Harris is more than just a piece of the puzzle. He’s part of the foundation.
Core Still Intact
That’s the silver lining here: the names haven’t changed. Harris will join Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Jurickson Profar in the everyday lineup next year. The rotation is expected to feature Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and maybe Chris Sale if health allows.
The 2025 Braves fell flat, but the roster is still one that other teams would love to trade for. Harris hitting 20 homers and swiping 20 bags is just one more reason to believe that 2026 can look very different.
What It Means for Braves Country
Fans won’t remember 2025 fondly. Too many stars hurt, too many missed chances. But milestones like Harris’s matter. They provide context. They give people something to hold onto when everything else slipped away.
The homer wasn’t just another run in a meaningless game. It was Harris telling Braves Country: the core is still here, and the fight is still there too.
Looking Towards Next Season
The Braves will spend October watching others play. That’s the truth. But Harris’s 20/20 year, Riley’s reminder of playing loose, Strider’s challenge to embrace adversity — those are all threads pointing toward what comes next.
For Harris, the job is to build on this breakthrough. For Atlanta, the challenge is to support him with depth and health. The bar hasn’t changed: the Braves expect to win. And Harris’s milestone is a good place to start the climb back.
