Healthy Harris could be primed for 30-30 season in '25

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Has Michael Harris II allowed himself to set a goal of achieving a 30-30 season?

¡°I guess if I do whatever I know I can do, it's possible,¡± Harris said. ¡°But I guess I can't really put a number on what I expect myself to do. Because in baseball, you can do everything right and still get out, do everything wrong and still get a hit. You can't really predict it. It's already a game of failure. So a 30-30 season would be amazing, but I can't really put that as a legit goal.¡±

Why not? It certainly seems attainable if the Braves center fielder avoids the injuries that have sidelined him the past two years and finally gets a chance to show what he can do over the entirety of a 162-game season.

¡°Looking at him, he looks to be in great shape,¡± Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ¡°You can tell he¡¯s been working hard in the offseason. Hopefully that leads to him being able to post for most of the season.¡±

Harris¡¯ MLB debut occurred two months into his 2022 National League Rookie of the Year Award-winning season. A lower back strain limited him to 138 games in 2023 and a left hamstring strain forced him to the 60-day injured list last summer.

The outfielder has played fewer than 115 games in two of his first three seasons. But he has already done enough with his bat and glove to rank No. 67 on MLB Network¡¯s list of the game¡¯s Top 100 Players Right Now. He ranks No. 4 on the list of the game¡¯s current top center fielders.

Not bad for a player who has played just four full seasons above the high school level. Harris will turn 24 on March 7.

¡°The last two years with injuries is something I¡¯ve never really dealt with in my career,¡± Harris said. ¡°It felt like it snuck up on me. I feel like I was doing everything right to stay prepared. Things just sneak up on you and you¡¯ve got to handle it. Now I know what to do and what not to do. Now I¡¯m motivated to start the season the way I ended it.¡±

Harris tweaked his back during the first full week of the 2023 season and then aggravated the ailment while lifting weights. He missed a significant part of April and was hitting .163 with a .490 OPS by June 6. He hit .335 with 16 homers and a .912 OPS over the 100 games that followed.

The suburban Atlanta native produced an .823 OPS over the 43 games that followed his two-month injured list stint last year.

Harris¡¯ production following the prolonged absences has fueled excitement about his potential.

Harris has hit .285 with 53 homers, 50 steals and a .794 OPS over the 362 games he has played through his first three seasons. He finished one home run shy of a 20-20 season during his rookie year and two homers shy in 2023. He finished with just 10 steals in '24. But with the hamstring issue behind him, he certainly could bid for his first 20-20 season, or maybe even a 30-30 season.

To get a feel for what Harris might be capable of over an entire season, here is a look at his yearly production:

2022 (114 games): .297 BA, 19 homers, 20 stolen bases, .853 OPS
162-game pace: 27 HRs and 28 SBs

2023 (138 games): .293 BA, 18 HR, 20 SB, .808 OPS
162-game pace: 21 HRs and 23 SBs

2024 (110 games): .264 BA, 16 HRs, 10 SBs, .722 OPS
162-game pace: 24 HRs and 14 SBs

How remarkable would it have been for Harris to tally three straight 20-20 seasons? The only five players to ever total three 20-20 seasons at 23 or younger are Julio Rodr¨ªguez (2022-24), Andruw Jones (1998-2000), Alex Rodriguez (1997-99), Cesar Cedeno (1972-74) and Vada Pinson (1959-62).

Injuries have also derailed the bids of other young players, Ronald Acu?a Jr. included, capable of producing a few 20-20 seasons early in their respective careers. But the above numbers at least highlight why a 30-30 season wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a surprise if Harris stays healthy.

¡°I feel like I prepared perfectly this offseason,¡± Harris said. ¡°Now, I just have to do whatever I can to make sure I stay healthy.¡±