The Atlanta Braves believed Michael Harris II had the ability to hold his own in the majors after impressing the front office and coaching staff in spring training.
They knew he was the best defensive center fielder in the organization, and with the team struggling with a record under.500, they decided to roll the dice.
Harris was called up by the Braves despite playing just 43 games above Class A.
Harris collected 22 first-place votes and 134 points to Strider's 8 first-place votes and 103 points to win the National League rookies of the year award. Brendan was third in the vote.
| Player, Team | First | Second | Third | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Harris II, Braves | 22 | 8 | -- | 134 |
| Spencer Strider, Braves | 8 | 21 | -- | 103 |
| Brendan Donovan, Cardinals | -- | -- | 22 | 22 |
| Jake McCarthy, Diamondbacks | -- | -- | 4 | 4 |
| Alexis Diaz, Reds | -- | 1 | -- | 3 |
| Nick Lodolo, Reds | -- | -- | 2 | 2 |
| Oneil Cruz, Pirates | -- | -- | 2 | 2 |
| -- Baseball Writers' Association of America |
Since 1980, when ranked balloting began, only four teammates have finished 1-2 in the voting, including the Braves' Craig Kimbrel and Freddie Freeman in 2011.
Harris is the ninth player to win the award.
When the Braves called Harris up, he was hitting.305 for Mississippi. On the second day of the season, Strider made his first start after being out of the starting lineup. The Braves won 15 in a row from June 1 to June 15 with Harris hitting.350 in that time. In late May, the Braves overtook the Mets to win the NL East title.
Manager Brian Snitker said that Harris was very calm and consistent. The whole thing is what it is. He can beat you in many ways. With his hands, with his arms, with his legs. That's a good thing to have in a player that can make a difference.
Harris' all-around tools, including a 92nd percentile ranking in outs above average on defense, a 95th percentile ranking in sprint speed and a 95th percentile in arm strength, helped him to a 5.3-WAR season.
He did it in 114 games. The five rookies of the year since 2010 have a higher WAR.
The Braves rewarded Harris with an eight-year contract extension worth $72 million that runs through 2030. with two club option seasons that could make it worth $102 million over 10 years. Not bad for a kid who was a Braves fan when he was a kid.
When he signed the deal, Harris didn't think about the year 2030. That's a long way away. I'm happy to be here in Atlanta for that long.
Many teams viewed Harris as a pitcher when he was drafted by the Braves. The outfielder Dana Brown saw had power and speed. The Braves invited Harris to hit at Truist Park before the draft and he filled the seats with home runs.
Harris said that he is a hitter.
Harris had seven home runs in Class A Rome and five in 43 games at Double-A. Kevin Seitzer told Harris to lower his hands after he joined the Braves. The power went off when Harris took to the change.
"As he matures and he becomes this player we all know he is, he will probably be at that number 2 or 3 spot for a long time," Snitker said near the end of the season
In 131.2 pitches, Strider had 202 strikeouts and an 11-5 record. Since 1969 there have been 10 rookies with 200 strikeouts and the first one to do so was Strider. His strike out rate was the second highest ever for a pitcher with at least 100innings, behind only Gerrit Cole.
"Everyone tries to figure out what they're trying to achieve," said Strider when he reached 200 strikeouts. I don't think I was trying to hit 200 guys. I didn't have a goal of that. It was just to win games and keep us in games.
If an oblique strain hadn't occurred, the voting might have been closer. The $75 million extension that Strider signed in October included a $22 million club option for 2029.
The pre-arbitration bonus pool agreed to in the new labor deal will give Harris and Strider an additional bonus of $750,000 and $500,000, respectively.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
