Michael Harris II’s 8+ WAR, MVP season shouldn’t surprise anyone

There are a few Braves that I am much higher on than the rest of the fan base. Two, in particular, are Spencer Schwellenbach and Michael Harris II.

Of course, I think Austin Riley and Matt Olson have the ability to win an MVP. Chris Sale and Spencer Strider are Cy Young threats, and I’m certainly not ready to give up on a guy like Sean Murphy, as some fans might be.

And Braves fans are backing Schwellenbach and Harris, but not like me. I believe Schwellenbach can be Atlanta’s best pitcher in 2025 and challenge for the Cy Young award. As far as Harris, I don’t think we’ve seen him sniff his true potential to this point in his young career.

I’ve been touting Harris as a darkhorse MVP candidate every season since he won Rookie of the Year in 2022, and I won’t stop! David Schoenfield recently simulated the 2025 season and highlighted the most surprising outcomes, with Harris’ 8.3 WAR season among the 12 most shocking.

Stat line: .328, 26 HRs, 8.3 WAR

“As preposterous as those numbers appear, Harris posted 5.1 WAR as a 21-year-old rookie in 2022 — in just 114 games — when he hit .297/.339/.514 with 19 home runs. He’ll have to stay healthy and tone down the overaggressive approach, but it’s not farfetched to think he could pop out a season like this at age 24. Like Duran a year ago, he also has an all-around skill set that makes him valuable in all phases of the game,” Schoenfield wrote.

Nobody should be surprised if Michael Harris turns in an 8-WAR campaign. He’s a damn-near .300 hitter, can steal bases and hit home runs, but most importantly, he can rack up WAR at an exponential rate because of his defense.

Just imagine this for a second: Harris wins his first Gold Glove, steals 30+ bags, hits 30+ home runs, and earns All-Star honors for the first time in his career. That would put him in rare company and would place him in the MVP conversation.

While Schoenfield and a lot of baseball fans would be surprised if Michael Harris put together that kind of season, I wouldn’t. I’m waiting for it.