CINCINNATI – Michael Harris II continues to mature into one of the most feared hitters in an already potent Braves offense, that boast the best record in the Majors at 39-19.
On Friday night in front of 29,996 fans at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, the 25-year-old went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, leading the Braves to an 8-3 win over the Reds in the series opener.
“He's maturing as a player, he's still only 25 years old,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Harris. “I just think that you're seeing that process happen before our eyes. He's just becoming a more mature baseball player, and there's a lot of wisdom that you gain playing in this league every day for several years, like he has already. He's made adjustments. He's figuring some things out, and he's having a great year for us.”
Harris is slashing .308/.333/.535 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs. It was his seventh three-hit game of the season, matching the Giants’ Luis Arraez, the Dodgers’ Andy Pages and the Marlins’ Otto Lopez for the most in the Majors in 2026.
“I’m just sticking to what was working in the second half last year, trusting it,” Harris said. “So, just coming out the gate and doing the same thing that was working from last year, just feeling good, and going out there and being confident. … I think the main thing is I [am] in a better spot to hit and be able to hit all types of pitches, just going in there looking, looking for good pitches to hit, and putting [on] my best swing.”
His best and most clutch piece of hitting came in the four-run sixth. The Reds, desperate to get out of the inning with just two runs crossing the plate, pulled reliever Yunior Marte in favor of lefty Caleb Ferguson. The left-handed-hitting Harris didn’t flinch, delivering a two-run single to center off a sinker that expanded the lead to 8-3.
“They brought a lefty in that I faced in the past, and kind of knew how he was probably going to try to pitch me, so I was ready for the heater,” Harris said. “He threw it a little middle, middle over the plate, and just tried to take it somewhere on the outfield, where I wouldn't have to worry about a double play, so I got lucky.”
He wasn’t as lucky in the first when Cincinnati right fielder Blake Dunn robbed him of a homer at the wall on a leaping grab, something he was able to joke about after.
“Here? For sure,” Harris replied when asked if he thought it was out when it left the bat. “The way the ball normally flies here. I thought it was gone, but I gotta do a better job of hitting that a little further, so I don't have that happen to me.”
Ronald Acuña Jr. showed more signs of a potential return to form with another tape measure home run as the Braves demonstrated Friday the kind of balance in their lineup that has made them the envy of every team in baseball this season. Dominic Smith also collected three hits and Jorge Mateo delivered an RBI single and a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
Acuña wasted no time continuing his momentum from Thursday’s grand slam at Fenway Park when he smoked the game’s fourth pitch -- a hanging curve from Cincinnati right-hander Chris Paddack (0-7) -- to the seats in deep left-center for his fourth homer of the season. The ball carried a Statcast-projected 429 feet and left the bat with an estimated exit velocity of 113 mph.
The Braves appeared poised to make the first inning a big one and the game a blowout from the start. But in addition to his home run robbery of Harris, Dunn threw out Matt Olson at second trying to extend his hit to the right field wall into a double.