Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II turned 23 years old on Thursday, and he made sure to celebrate his big day with a bang.
Harris flew out in his first at-bat against the Boston Red Sox, then drew a walk in his second plate appearance. His third chance of the day went a lot better, though, as he took starting pitcher Nick Pivetta deep with a solo home run to right.
The smooth swing – which gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead with two outs in the fifth inning – came right in the middle of ESPN's in-game interview with Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Both the broadcast crew and Cora knew the ball was clearing the fence the moment Harris hit it, and they were able to react in real time to the no-doubter.
The moment wasn't lost on Harris, either, as he took to social media to celebrate his well-timed bomb with some fitting emojis.
Harris was one of the Braves' only everyday players that didn't top 20 home runs in 2023. Instead, he only hit 18.
The 2022 NL Rookie of the Year is a .295 career hitter with an .828 lifetime OPS. Harris is averaging 24 home runs, 78 RBI and 26 stolen bases per 162 games since making it to the big leagues, and he owns an 8.7 WAR in that time as well.
So far in Spring Training, Harris is batting .444 with three home runs, five RBI and a stolen base.
FanGraphs' Steamer model is projecting Harris to finish 2024 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .290 batting average, an .829 OPS and a 4.3 WAR.
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