Who should Braves be more worried about: Ozzie Albies or Michael Harris II?

There are so many different reasons why the Braves have disappointed this season, but one of the biggest factors is underperforming stars, and the two that fit that bill to a tee are Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies.

Albies has always been a streaky hitter that has struggled with injuries, but the combination of his rare power at second base and switch-hitting ability made up for it. Those have effectively vanished this season.

For the first time, Albies is slugging under .400, with his career average 70 points higher than that mark. The biggest discrepancy is his splits against left-handed pitching. Albies averages a career .888 OPS against southpaws, even including his dismal numbers this year, as he owns a .511 OPS from the right side. That is a staggering difference.

Perhaps it’s the wrist injury, or maybe Albies’ physical decline is just happening sooner than usual, but it’s increasingly clear that he’s lost something. Fortunately for the Braves, he is in the last guaranteed year of his deal. There are two club options worth $7 million each and a $4 million buy-out option.

If Alex Anthopoulos feels that Ozzie Albies is too far gone, that his power won’t return and whatever is plaguing his numbers against lefties isn’t fixable, moving on could be in the cards. It’s worrisome, but it doesn’t measure up to concerns around Michael Harris II.

Harris entered this campaign garnering darkhorse MVP attention (from me, at least). He had a career .285 average with a .794 OPS through 362 games. There was plenty of reason for optimism, but the former Rookie of the Year has struggled mightily this season, hitting .212 with just six home runs and a .558 OPS, which ranks last among MLB’s 159 qualified players.

Some of it is mechanics, with his average launch angle dropping dramatically this season, leading to less quality contact. He’s hitting more groundballs than ever, notching hard-hit balls at a lower rate, and barreling up fewer balls than ever. But the overall approach is what’s really striking. He seems to have absolutely no grasp of the strike zone at all, posting a ridiculous 42.3% chase rate.

Still, given Harris’ physical tools and youth, there’s at least hope he can work his way out of this extended slump. Unlike Albies, though, he has five guaranteed years left on his deal, totaling $49 million through 2030, then he’s got two club options in 2031 and 2032 worth $15 million and $20 million, respectively. It’s a lot of money committed to a guy who has been the worst offensive player in baseball through the first half of the season.

I could hear arguments for both sides, but because of the money associated with Michael Harris, I’m more concerned with his play. In that same breath, I’m much more confident in Michael Harris coming out of his slump than Ozzie Albies. Harris is still an elite athlete and only 24 years old.