BIOGRAPHY
Michael Harris II was born March 7, 2001, in DeKalb County, Georgia. He is an outfielder in the MLB.
Harris started his professional career that year with the Gulf Coast Braves before being promoted to the Rome Braves. Over 53 games between the two teams, he batted .277/.344/.393 with two home runs and 27 RBIs.
In 2021, the Braves invited him to their Spring Training. He spent the 2021 season with the Rome Braves, slashing .294/.362/.436 with seven home runs, 64 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. In June, he was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.
On May 28, 2022, Harris was selected to the major league roster, and he made his debut later that day against the Miami Marlins. Harris struck out in his first major league at-bat, and later on in the same game, recorded his first hit, a single, and scored his first run. While facing the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 31, Harris drove in his first career run. Harris hit his first career home run against the Washington Nationals on June 13. During the month of June, Harris had a .347/.371/.574 slash line. Of his 35 hits, 13 were extra base hits. He also drove in 16 runs, stole four bases, and won the Rookie of the Month Award. On August 17, the Braves and Harris agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth at least $72 million. As the season continued, Harris, teammate Spencer Strider, and the Braves' later call-up Vaughn Grissom were considered possible National League Rookie of the Year candidates. Harris was again named Rookie of the Month for August, posting a .337/.400/.590 slash line. Sixteen of his rookie-leading 32 hits during the month were for extra bases. In September, Harris was recognized as Rookie of the Month for the third time, having batted .324 with six home runs and 19 RBIs.
On November 14, Harris was named the 2022 National League Rookie of the Year, finishing ahead of teammate Spencer Strider. Harris and Strider were the second pair of Braves to finish first and second for the award, following Craig Kimbrel and Freddie Freeman in 2011. Harris dedicated the award to Marquis Grissom, his youth baseball tutor, with whom he had continued working during the offseasons.
