This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Three days before top prospect Michael Harris II was elevated from Double-A Mississippi to the Majors, 680 The Fan’s Kevin McAlpin asked why the top prospect hadn’t gotten the call yet. My response was that it wouldn’t be fair to Harris to bring him up now and possibly negatively influence his long-term value.

This is the line Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos had to walk before making this decision. There’s no way to argue Harris is fully prepared after playing 197 Minor League Games, with just 43 of those coming above the High A level. But it’s also hard to argue against him immediately making the Braves better.

With Harris, the Braves have a legit center fielder who will make the team’s woeful outfield defense better, especially once Ronald Acuña Jr. is cleared to play right field on an everyday basis. His presence also allows Adam Duvall to move to a corner outfield spot, which could lessen fatigue and allow him to regain the power that went missing this year.

Offensively, Harris will provide at least as much as Travis Demeritte did before he was sent down last weekend. But you also have to wonder if the time he spends at the big league level might adversely affect his development and lower his ceiling.

Before making too much of this concern, remember Harris might gain more Minor League seasoning once Eddie Rosario returns at some point after the All-Star break. So, a six to eight week stay at the big league level might actually be beneficial if Harris has to return to the Minors at some point to complete his preparations.

Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur both made a successful jump from Double-A to the Majors in 2005. McCann earned the first of seven All-Star selections in '06 and Francoeur was on the cover of Sports Illustrated less than two months after making his MLB debut. Yeah, Francoeur’s offensive production declined over the years. But a little more time in the Minors wasn’t going to take away the aggressive nature, which served as both a strength and weakness for him.

Jason Heyward made the same leap in 2010 and found immediate success at the big league level. Maybe his career fell short of expectations, but it’s hard to call $200 million-plus in earnings a bust. His ascent wasn’t stunted by a quick promotion, as much as it was the Jon Niese pitch that busted his face in 2013.

Dansby Swanson was unfairly rushed to the Majors from Double-A in 2016, but he currently stands as one of the game’s top shortstops. So, maybe we make too much of whether a player truly is ready. Maybe the question should always be, is that player ready to make this team better right now.

Harris is just three years removed from playing at suburban Atlanta’s Stockbridge High School. But the mature 21-year-old outfielder certainly doesn’t look like he is fazed by this jump that does indeed make the Braves a better team right now.