Atlanta Braves Expect Michael Harris II to Keep Stealing Bases?

The Atlanta Braves are taking the reins off of Michael Harris II on the basepaths. What sort of stolen base potential does the phenom possess?

In his first 27 games with the Atlanta Braves, Michael Harris II had just two steals on two attempts.

In the past nine games, Harris has had four steals in four attempts. Two steals came in last night’s 07/05 game against the Cardinals.

During the broadcast, announcer Brian Jordan said something along the lines of, “I asked E.Y. (Eric Young, Braves first base coach), Harris has all this speed, why don’t you let him loose?”

Eric Young’s response, as relayed by Jordan, was basically that the Braves wanted to ease him in.

That’s when Harris took second and then took third.

Can We Expect Harris II to Continue To Steal?

Harris II currently ranks in the 94th percentile in sprint speed. His 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed is good for the 30th fastest in all of baseball and is easily the best on the Atlanta Braves. 

So, he’s the fastest player on a team with good speed.

To put his speed in perspective, you’ll find his name nestled in with well-known speedsters such as Jazz Chisolm Jr., Myles Straw, Jon Berti, Kevin Kiermeier, and Byron Buxton.

In 2021 at just 20 years old, Harris stole 27 bases in only 101 games. He was caught just four times.

His 27 steals certainly showed off his speed and ability to swipe a bag, but it was in High-A Rome. Harris II began the 2022 season in Double-A. He had logged just 43 games in Mississippi before the Braves decided it was time to bring him to the big leagues.

In those 43 Double-A games, Harris stole 11 bases.

If you take his stolen base numbers from 2021 and his 43 games in Double-A, it has him on a 43 SB pace over 162 games. It’s not a great way to project what he will do moving forward at a higher level, but it does give us an idea of what he has in the tank.

Why would the Braves want to ease him in on the base paths? 

There have been many players who successfully steal multitudinous amounts of bases in the minor leagues and can’t make it work at the highest level. Harris appears to have the instincts and the speed, but considering he only had 43 games above High-A, it’s not surprising that the Braves wanted him to get a feel for major league quality pickoff moves.

It appears they are beginning to “let him loose.”

This may be a gradual increase in attempts. He was very obviously leaning last night right before he took off. The first attempt was a foul ball so he had to go back and try again. Once again, right before he took off, he was leaning like a palm tree in a hurricane.

If you have the speed, the Braves are unafraid to let you run. We’ve seen it with Acuna and Albies, we are seeing it with Dansby this year. Michael Harris II has the speed to do some serious damage on the base paths.

With his elite speed and ability to get on base, Michael Harris II could be a second elite base stealer in Atlanta for years to come.

Steals are fun! I’d love to see Harris and Acuna duking it out for the league lead in 2023.

Do you think he’ll keep stealing? Will his inexperience slow him down this season? Let us know what you think in the comments.