Just a couple months ago, Atlanta Braves fans were ready to leave Michael Harris II on the side of the road somewhere. The frustration was understandable after Harris was one of the worst qualified hitters in baseball through the All-Star break. For a player that had so much promise and who won NL Rookie of the Year, the Braves' seemingly reasonable extension for Harris was starting to look like a mistake.
However, after posting a .210/.234/.320 slash line through the season's first 97 games, Harris has caught fire over the last month plus. After making a stance adjustment back to where he used to hold his hands high before he swung, Harris has slashed .398/.413/.732 in the 30 games since July 18.
We are used to Harris being a bit of a rollercoaster as he has had ups and downs before, although this season was an extreme case. Given his lack of consistency, what grade should we give the extension the Braves gave him knowing what we know now.
Grading Michael Harris II's extension knowing what the Braves know now
First, the basics. Almost exactly three years ago in August of 2022, Harris signed an extension with the Braves for eight years and $72 million. Said extension includes a $15 million club option for 2031 and a $20 million option for 2032. Since signing the extension, Harris has given Atlanta two seasons worth 3.5 rWAR and 3.2 rWAR respectively after his 5.1 rWAR rookie campaign that convinced Atlanta to sign him long-term.
At $5 million for each of the first two years of his deal followed by $8 million this season, there is just no question that Atlanta gotten their money's worth out of Harris so far. However, Harris' deal calls for him to make more and more over time with $8 million for 2026, $9 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028 and 2029, and $12 million for 2030 before his club options come into play. With the up and down nature of Harris' career thus far and just how low the lows can be, was Harris' extension a good idea with the benefit of hindsight?
It is a fair question especially if you only look at past seasons where minor changes to swing path and approach got Harris back on track. However, Atlanta has realized that while they would never teach a player to have a stance like Harris', he is much more comfortable with his hands up high and there is no denying that the results have been orders of magnitude better. For better or worse, this is an adjustment that is likely to stick.
There is a chance that Harris' new/old swing could make him vulnerable to opposing pitchers. However, it doesn't seem to be doing anything negative right now and the pros of keeping Harris comfortable far outweigh the bad. Combine that adjustment with his plus defense in center giving him a very reasonable floor and you honestly can't give a grade less than an A for Harris' extension even if that seemed impossible just a month ago.