How Being a Bounce-Back Candidate Reveals Braves Michael Harris' Ceiling

The Atlanta Braves centerfielder was named a bounce-back candidate recently, and for good reason; we already know his ceiling

The potential to be a star ballplayer is there for this Braves outfielder | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

There were flashes in the latter half of last season for Michael Harris II. Perhaps it gave him some goodwill that things can be better for him throughout 2026. MLB.com named the Atlanta Braves centerfielder a bounce-back candidate for 2026. 

It’s not a bold pick at all. We know what he is capable of as a ballplayer. There are times when he is hitting as well as anybody in the game. Those peaks have been seen before, even in previous seasons. The problem is that his valleys are very low, and he can be streaky. 

It’s possible. It will just take finding the right balance of building more plate discipline without sacrificing the positives he brings to the table. He showed with the adjustment to his stance that he can make changes for the better. His walk rate has been much better in previous seasons. There has to be some combination of what he did after the All-Star Break and the walk rate from before. 

Harris was the most available he had ever been in his career. He played in 160 games, missing two because manager Brian Snitker was hoping to give him a mental reset over a couple of games. 

He managed to finish with his first 20-20 season in his career. That extra playing time allowed him to hit 20 home runs in a season for the first time. It also allowed him to muster 20 stolen bases, a mark he’s reached in significantly fewer games before. He also had a career high of 86 RBIs. 

It was a perplexing season. While it was a comment that sounded off to those who followed the team day in and day out, Snitker was onto something when he said that those who didn’t would look at the counting stats and think he did all right. He mustered solid counting stats. 

There is another way to look at it. If he can rack up those numbers, plus 152 hits, 52 that were for extra bases, with the chaotic season that he had, imagine what he could do if he could rediscover his plate discipline and find more consistency. An elite-level ballplayer is waiting to be awoken. 

While it’s obvious what needs to be done, it’s not as easy as saying what has to happen. Harris has to put in the work to improve his approach. He’s more than capable of doing it, but it’s a wait-and-see for if it happens.