It is not surprising that Atlanta Braves center fielder had a big game or hit a home run to dead center. Harris' raw power is well-documented, and he has also been one of the Braves' best hitters all year long. It is a certainty that Atlanta wouldn't have won Tuesday night's game in Boston without Harris' heroics, but it is HOW he did it that had his Braves teammates talking.
Any good clubhouse is quick to spread the praise around when they can, but it is usually pretty surface-level stuff. However, that is not what happened on Tuesday. After Harris hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning that ended up being the difference in the game, it was that Harris managed to hit the pitch he did out to dead center that got everyone's attention.
Michael Harris II's aggression, combined with his immense talent, added to his legend among the Braves on Tuesday
Harris' aggressive approach at the plate can be frustrating. A 3.6% walk rate is pretty rough and looks particularly bad when Harris isn't hitting well. There are only so many wild swings at pitches out of the zone and grounders to second that fans can take without raising questions. However, with that aggressive approach comes some positives as well, and that is exactly what happened on Tuesday.
On a pitch that was only 1.23 feet off the ground, Harris launched a ball 423 feet to dead center for a home run. For reference, only seven homers have been hit on pitches that low or lower, although one of the others WAS hit by Drake Baldwin earlier this season. For Harris' teammates, they weren't so much surprised as in awe of what he is capable of.
Spencer Strider raved about Harris' talent after the homer and claimed that he has "one of the best swings in baseball." Matt Olson, who also homered in the game to help get out of his slump, said that Harris "can hit any pitch in any spot, as we saw from that homer today.” Even manager Walt Weiss, who is usually pretty reserved, exclaimed, "If he can get to it, he can smoke it..."
So yes, Harris' aggressive approach is going to cause him and the Braves headaches, and that criticism is entirely fair. However, Harris' approach also allows him to punish baseballs when he is on, and he showed exactly that against the Red Sox.
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