Count me as one who was totally wrong about the plans of the major league club (trust me, it happens often). Prospect outfielder Michael Harris II is headed to Atlanta, where he’ll wear no. 23 for the big league team after putting together an amazing performance in Double-A.
The surprising promotion (for some of us) on Saturday comes the day after Harris and Double-A Mississippi put an absolute beating on Pensacola on Friday night, combining to tie a club record with 19 runs from a season-high 17 hits. In last night’s win, Harris finished 2 for 5 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs, to go with a walk, pushing his AVG for the year up to .305.
Many have called for the 21-year-old’s promotion, whether it be to Triple-A Gwinnett or Atlanta. Harris hit the ground running in 2022 with Mississippi, beginning the campaign with a 10-game hitting streak as part of a month of April that featured a .333/.400/.531 slash line. And there’s reason to believe another scorching-hot stretch of hitting is on its way now, as over his last three games Harris has gone 5 for 12 at the plate.
The call-up for Harris results in the optioning to Triple-A of outfielder Travis Demeritte unfortunately. Like the former, the latter player started extremely hot with the bat this season, and for a stretch he played really well for the Braves. Hopefully Harris can not only contribute in the majors, but remain there long term.
Braves Farm 