ATLANTA -- Michael Harris II was statistically one of MLB’s worst hitters during the first half of the 2025 season and one of the game’s top offensive threats over the month that followed the All-Star break.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t necessarily a completely new experience for the Braves center fielder, who has battled inconsistencies since winning the 2022 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
“You just have to take it one day at a time,” Harris said. “You can’t think about the past, and you sure can’t get caught up in the future. It’s just about being where your feet are and trying to be better than you were yesterday.”
Harris has exited each of the past three seasons as a top bounceback candidate for the following season. The consistency he displayed in 2022 has since eluded him. But he still enjoyed some stretches during which it’s easy to understand why his teammates believe he could one day gain superstar status.
“He’s one of the most talented guys on the field, any field you step on,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said.
This was why it was so baffling when Harris entered this past season’s All-Star break ranked last among all qualified MLB players with a .551 OPS. Yes, he had endured rough stretches to begin the 2023 and ’24 seasons. But he had never struggled to that level. And some of his previous struggles at least could be blamed on injuries.
Harris finished August 2024 with a .652 OPS and then produced a .923 OPS over 26 games in September. His strong finish led former Braves manager Brian Snitker to say he looked forward to seeing what the young outfielder could do if he remained healthy over an entire season.
Well, Harris played 160 games in 2025 (22 more than his previous career high). But thoughts of him earning his first All-Star selection or notching a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season quickly evaporated during his disastrous first half.
Making significant changes to swing mechanics during a season can prove detrimental. But Harris was desperate. So, he began raising his hands back toward his shoulders, like they were during his Minor League days. During Harris’ first week at the MLB level, former Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer had suggested lowering the hands in his batting stance.
That adjustment worked at the time and helped Harris taste success during portions of his first few seasons. But he felt lost most of this past summer and began moving his hands back toward his shoulder while the Braves were in West Sacramento playing the Athletics the week before the All-Star break. He immediately realized significant improvement.
Harris ranked third among qualifiers with a 1.139 OPS from July 18 to Aug. 19. He then had an ugly .311 OPS over his next 22 games from Aug. 20 to Sept. 13. But just when it looked like he was destined to end on a down note, he constructed a .968 OPS over his final 14 games.
This second-half success and final-month turnaround prevented Harris’ 2025 season from being a total disaster. At the same time, the encouraging finish created reason to once again be optimistic about the young outfielder’s ability to rebound next year.