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Braves hitting coach downplays dreadful Michael Harris II slump
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- Braves hitting coach downplays dreadful Michael Harris II slump
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Michael Harris II is just three years removed from winning the National League Rookie of the Year award with the Atlanta Braves , and just last year, he hit a respectable .264 with an OPS right around the league average. That's why his woeful offensive numbers this year are so shocking — and why Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers is optimistic he can turn it around .
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"I think if he can hold his posture, clean up a few things mechanically and then get back to getting balls in the strike zone, I think this thing can turn around in a heartbeat," Hyers said, via Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. "He has it in him. He's super talented."
Harris has shown that talent before, particularly as a rookie when he hit for an .853 OPS. Through 82 games in 2025, however, he is hitting .212 with a should-be-impossible .238 on-base percentage, largely due to a 3.1 percent walk rate. His OPS+ is only 55 and he has a 50 wRC+.
His troubles have only compounded in June. Since the start of the month, he is hitting .148 with 25 strikeouts, no walks and four extra-base hits. To make matters worse, the Braves are 9-14 in that time and fading out of contention fast.
"I've had times in the past where I was struggling, but came out of a little quicker than right now," Harris said. "So yeah, us losing and being in this situation isn't the best. But, still got three months left."
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Harris also admitted that plate discipline has been a problem. Aside from his inability to draw walks, which has never been his strength, his hard-hit rate is down 7 percent from last year, his ground ball rate is up 3 percent and his barrel rate is down almost 4 percent.
"I mean, mechanics are going to be there," he said. "They're not going to change that much. You just have to lock it in on what location you want and look for something you can hit."
As Harris makes things harder for himself, his opponents aren't doing him any favors. He is also seeing fewer pitches in the strike zone (49 percent vs. 51.5 percent last year) and his chase rate has jumped almost three points with it.
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