Scouts didn’t come looking for Hayden Harris after he graduated from Grove City (Ga.) High School, where he’d been a star two-way player on their baseball team. They ignored him when he played summer ball in Atlanta after graduation, and after four seasons with Georgia Southern, but then the Atlanta Braves signed him to see what he was capable of. Now they have a lefty with a knack for striking batters out ready to play in Atlanta.
Hayden Harris' ability to rack up the strikeouts could pay off big for the Braves in 2026
Harris played for the Savannah Bananas in 2022 and joined the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League, where he struck out 17 of 41 batters faced in 9.1 IP. The Braves signed the 6’0, 186 pound lefty and sent him to the Florida Complex League in time to make six appearances before the season ended.
Harris sped through Augusta and Rome on his way to Mississippi in 2023, striking out 91 batters in 59+ IP at season’s end. After 19 appearances for Mississippi in 2024, he moved to Gwinnett, where he threw 22 innings, striking out 35 and walking 16 while posting a misleading 7.36 ERA that would have landed in the low 3.30s if not for two bad outings.
Harris started 2025 with Columbus, where he threw 22.2 innings in 18 games, striking out 37 and walking 7 while pitching to a 0.79 ERA before rejoining Gwinnett. In 25 games for the Stripers, he pitched to a 0.61 over 29.1 innings, striking out 42 and walking12. The Braves clearly liked what they saw and called Harris up on September 9.
What to Expect in 2026
The arsenal that compares best to Harris is Nick Lodolo. Harris delivers the baseball from a 17° arm angle that’s one of the lowest for a non-submariner in baseball. His low 90’s fastball comes in a little flat, but his funky motion makes it hard to square up. He’ll throw that four-seamer about 80% of the time, backing it up with a split-change at 88 and a sweeper at 81.
Sean Manaea (16°) and Lodolo (15°) have the closest arm angles to Harris, but Lodolo’s arsenal is the closest. The Reds’ left delivers his fastball a couple of ticks up from Harris’, and the curve he throws instead of a sweeper comes in at 72, but their pitch profiles are similar.
Harris profiles as a middle reliever rather than a closer, a role currently held by Dylan Lee, another reliever the Braves seemed to pull out of thin air, but a team never has enough lefty relievers.
That’s a Wrap
Harris is another great find by Braves’ scouts and an under-the-radar steal courtesy of Alex Anthopoulos. Lefty relievers without a serious platoon split are hard to find and expensive to sign.
Going into spring training, the Braves have too many pitchers without options for the 13 available roster spots, which makes it unlikely Harris opens the season in Atlanta. But a strong start at Gwinnett may force the Braves to make room for a lefty who hasn’t shown a significant right/left split and posted a 12.9 K-rate last year.