State of the Braves Ep. 134- Michael Harris II Returns Just In Time

all right Braves fans let's get rolling I'm George McNair and this is state of the Braves well guys um it's been an interesting road trip it didn't start out too well in Colorado uh but Michael Harris has returned and his return was felt immediately as he launched a grand slam into mccovy Cove in his very first at bat after coming back from a two-month long stint on the aisle he had that grade to hamstring injury hamstrings are so tricky you know when he first went down I was just hoping sometimes you just tweak it a little bit and you're back in in five days or so but that certainly wasn't the case for Harris out two months and of course that was massive impact because you need you needed him after Ronald aunia went down and and missing Michael Harris maybe has I don't know if it's gotten lost but I I wonder if we have underappreciated maybe a little bit of how impactful that injury was obviously in a negative way for har to be out for two months offensively and defensively he impacts these teams in this team in big ways and I think we have already seen those positive returns as he has come back already um it could not have come at a better time uh for the Braves after that gutting loss to the Rockies I don't want to talk about that series too much but you know that loss uh to end that series you're playing basically the team with the worst record in the National League uh the bullpen completely imploded in that game in the eighth inning to turn an 8-2 win into a nine to8 loss by the way I'm not sure I've seen Luke Jackson since um since that moment so um I wonder about his future in Atlanta uh unfortunately because personally really like L Jackson think he can make some um you know I talked about it he he's a great Clubhouse guy but man he might not have it anymore at least not this season um so all that being said that 8-2 win turned into a 9 to8 loss to the worst team in the National League to end that series a series you really felt like the Braves really needed is um as they've been trying to bounce back from a pretty big downturn um and I think they have bounced back since then I mean that's the good news right they bounced back to win two Extra Inning games against the Giants uh to set up Michael Harris's return uh so you know even though uh Jorge Solair went down with a hamstring strain of his own in the very game that Harris comes back from his hamstring injury which by the way is like the most 2024 brace thing I can think of happening it's like yeah of course that's how it works you you you gain one guy back the next guy gets injured um doesn't look like Solair will be going on the injured list or that it's too big of a deal we hope but nonetheless that game with Solair and Harris in the lineup provided a brief Glimpse to me of what the lineup can be the rest of the way for the Braves so Solair should be back uh by the time the Braves return to Atlanta and face off against the Phillies which I don't even have to say it I mean this just so obviously a huge series for the Braves maybe not even in relation to the National League East I mean if they were to sweep the Phillies that maybe changes the math a little bit but um just win that series and and really continue to be uh feels like they're getting back on track continue to move in a positive direction against what has been the best team in the National League this year and with Solair at the top of the lineup you're able to slide Harris down into the middle of the lineup maybe hitting fifth or sixth depending on if you're facing a righty or Lefty you finally feel like the Braves have guys in the middle of the order and a little further down in the order that can do some damage AG uh now you have you feel really good about your top six sometimes depending on the lineup even your top seven you feel pretty good about in that lineup uh hopefully we are totally done with Orlando RC hitting fifth that was so depressing to me and I don't want to see that ever again uh he did go through a little bit of a a surge and a hot streak and I'll give him some credit for that but that is not where you want your lineup Orlando Aria uh a basically sub or below average offensive player hitting fifth for you you know and in a few weeks Azie should be coming back and so now adding soir back you get you got Michael Harris back now soon you'll hopefully be able to add Azie back and really get your full compliment of offensive players in the lineup you can see yeah this is a team once again even though they're strikeout prone you know they're relying on power uh but you get a little more speed back with Azie and obviously Harris and Whit field has ADD added a little bit of that as well since he's been in the lineup these are these are positive things in the right direction and you can start seeing this offense being much better than it has been for most of the year so since Harris returned the Braves are 4- two okay we have six games under our belts a couple of those games uh the the two losses have been disappointing especially the loss to the angels you lose three to2 they definitely had some opportunities in that game where um their inability with with Runners on base kind of reared its ugly head again where they really should have won that game against definitely a subpar uh Team yet they weren't able to do that it it is a little ironic to me where where the Braves are not doing the little things all that well this year and then here we are playing the angels and Ron Washington and the other dug out and um he's all about the little things right so it's not lost on me but it has been good in this series to see wash and and ey again um love those guys so all right so anyways the offense has been very inconsistent for these six games since Harris has been back but in the positive and the negative right they had a game where they got shut out by by web of San Francisco who's probably a top 10 pitcher in baseball top 15 pitcher in baseball he pitched great you chalk that one up you tip your cap to him but the loss to the angels that one really that one really stung I mean the the Giants game if you win that game you sweep a four game series and I mean that would have been you know really really awesome but you feel like okay three out of four from San Francisco who's also fighting for that last wild card spot that's really good but man you go into that Angels game and you lose a game you you really should have won that stinks nonetheless the Braves rebound last night win the game 11 to3 okay the offense is back again I I wish we could spread out those runs a little more evenly and win more games that way but of course that's not how baseball works but yeah two of these six games the Braves have scored in double digits you see on the high end the ability of this team especially when the power is really working uh but you know the inconsistency I mean this is how this team is built the inconsistency is going to happen uh an offense that is um you know relying on power but is um you know has serious strikeout potential too occasionally those strikeouts are going to happen and you're not impacting the baseball enough uh but man yeah getting Michael Harris back is so refreshing he's one of my favorite Braves and you know not having him and aunia really probably what would you say two of the three or four most exciting Braves um when they're on the field so having him back just a dynamic player is really fun uh to see him play again um I know he wasn't playing great when he went down but outside of a AA I feel like Michael Harris is the most dynamic position player on this team and and he's already showing flashes of that I mean of course the Grand Slam he's made some um really good catches in Center he's not even having to dive you know it's it's like you don't see him for two months and you see other guys like Kellick and you know filling the blank corano has been out there a little bit in center field and you see guys you know the ball gets into the Gap and then they have to chase it down to the wall and that sort of thing and then you you watch Harris and he's tracking those balls down in the air without even having to dive and you just see oh yeah that's what an elite defensive center fielder looks like I almost forgot how good Michael Harris is defensively so it's so good to have him back really does solidify your defensive Outfield a lot more guys can get into their more natural positions and it just makes you better and you know it does feel like the Braves have solidified their up the-middle play just generally I actually have really liked what Whit marfield has has brought to this team you know I I always liked him when he was with the Royals and I know he's a little further along in his career you know he's 35 he might be in a little bit of decline but I think he's a better player than what showed in Philly I think they you know he has the ability to be kind of a su super utility guy and they kind of used him in that role and he wasn't getting playing time every day he wasn't in his favorite position which he has said as second base so I think his even just while A's out right just put him at second base let him let him play Let him play every day and his in his favorite position uh he's going to be comfortable and probably play at his best level and uh he has played at a pretty good level he hit a home run uh last night his first home run with the Braves I haven't looked up his average since he's been with the Braves but it's definitely gone up he was I think hitting 199 when he joined the Braves uh and he's certainly hitting much better than that since he's in Atlanta so you know he's going to play until Aussie comes back and then he's going to be a bench guy for you but um I think that was um a sneaky good move by anthopolos to bring in marfield uh but anyways getting back to Harris you know he has come back and not only is he playing great in the Outfield he's hitting the ball really hard too um he's six of 19 uh in those six games back that includes of course his Grand Slam um I think he has six RBI total since since he's been back he's had at least one hit in every game um and U and three hits in Saturday night's game I think I did that math wrong because he he definitely would have more than six hits but three hits in last night's game against the angels that grand slam just um you know and you can tell you can tell when Michael is is not quite on I mean that's how he was swinging when he got injured um you know he's hitting 250 that's really not Michael Harris he's he's around a you know 280 290 300 kind of hitter um and that's what he looks like now that he's been back and so that's really good that he's able to hit the ground running and be impactful offensively uh with Solair being out these these few games he's had to move into the leadoff role and and has been uh doing great there too I mean Harris he's not a pure leadoff guy because he doesn't draw a ton of walks so I do think he's much better in the five hole probably for this team he's he's the five full hitter um when auni comes back of course that that will change things even more maybe he slides down one one more spot uh next year but but I think that's where Harris is at his best not necessarily the top of the lineup even though he gives you a speed he's not I don't know that I mean maybe that's his next progression is is improving that on base um but nonetheless he can still just impact the ball so much real you know massive power when he gets a hold of the ball um and so man it's it's just been great to have him back so when cair does come back I do wonder if Ramone laurano may actually get more of the play in right field uh we've seen actually Solair was playing a little left field in San Francisco that might just be they might just determine where to play Sol depending on what ballpark they're in in other words where does he have to cover less ground and kind of shift it around that way but you know lauriano uh even though he's made a couple high-profile blunders like that that play in New York where he whiffed on the on the Fly ball and the Braves lose the game um you know that was such a bad moment but he's actually if you can remove a couple of bad plays in the Outfield from your mind and that one bad base running play where Kellick tried to bun him home I if you can remove those things in terms of just at the plate laurano has been really good for the Braves in fact he's been their best offensive outfielder um since he joined the team uh in four 14 games in August Lano is hitting 333 with a 389 on base percentage 636 slugging percentage he's got three home runs just on this West Coast Road Trip alone uh he hit one last night in the Braves blowout win against the Angels um and hitting the ball the other way he hit um an opposite field home run in San Francisco the ball he hit out last night was right center field and actually just totally demolished the dude has serious power and you know he was playing really really really poorly uh when the Braves picked him up I I went through laurano a little bit when the Braves got him I mean basically three years of not very good play from laurano but he was a very good player in Oakland for about a threeyear stretch before that and so you know he has gotten pretty good playing time since he's been with the brav Mostly because of injury issues and poor performance from Duvall but I really wonder if um if Solair when Solair comes back um you know Duval by the way barely survived the r roster crunch when Harris came back the brav sent Eli white down to Triple A simply because he had options if they had um you know released uall obviously he's gone for good so they keep him on you know they keep him on the roster probably just in case another injury were to happen but Duval's getting basically no playing time right now um and and Kel Nick's playing pretty much now just totally against righties and you know he is plummeted um he B Kellick basically is a zero War player for the last two months he just has not hit um Kellick hit over 300 in June had a great month and that's when I think we all were like man this guy really might be something the Braves might have really got this correct when they went out and got Kellick but he hit 137 in uh in July and has hit just 224 in August he has only four home runs in these last two months combined and so you know Kellick dropping performance has certainly made me question his long-term future with the Braves you know maybe he bounces back in this last month and a half of the season um and and reclaim some of that but right now he's he's not the best option uh in the Outfield he gives you a good defensive left field but you need more than that right now with this team you need some offense uh so especially with the addition of cair I wonder if he might play left a little more often laurano is a legitimate right fielder defensively he has a great arm and he's hitting and I think as long as Lano is hitting you you play him um it might be more of a straight platoon with orano and Kellick but kck's not hitting righties either right now so I don't know why you wouldn't play Lano while he's playing well um so we'll see we'll see when comes back how that all shakes out um I also want to highlight the good play of the Braves catchers on this road trip honestly you know the Braves the last you know in 2022 and 2023 since Murphy came to the Braves uh the Braves have had or sorry 2022 before um before murf came in the 2023 last year it it's just been a really good um performance from the Braves catchers you know darno was an All-Star in 22 um Murphy had that great first half last year before you know some injuries and and poor play from him in the second half uh but but they've been Allstar caliber and really had the best catching situation of anyone in baseball of course this year just like pretty much everything else this season didn't didn't start off on the right track Murphy gets hurt uh in the very first game of the year uh but darno has been good A little streaky yes but overall really really good offensively uh and together they both have been very good since the All-Star break so definitely want to shout them out uh but just on this road trip which has only been nine games of course they play today in Anaheim to finish out the road trip but in nine games darno and Murphy are combined 10 of 35 now that's 285 uh which is really just fine for for any catching tandem uh across that time but but three home runs 10 RB those stats don't tell the whole story Murphy is having really really good at bats getting on base a lot darno of course has had some really crucial at bats including that sack fly in that pitcher duel um with s and Chris Snell um in San Francisco so they've had had some really really big moments and as a whole the these two catchers have been really crucial for the Braves since the All-Star break Murphy again has been really good offensive ly lately in August he has a 467 slugging percentage some doubles couple home runs a 371 on base percentage he's hitting the ball hard putting together really good at bats and again getting on base and when that's one thing I remember the first half last year when he was really going good and his power was really playing moris he was also not swinging um at balls right I mean he had a great eye at the pl getting on base a ton and I think he's gotten back to that a lot and maybe just gotten healthy too you know it's hard to miss uh so much time at the beginning of the Season you basically have to ramp up again uh it's not like you get to go back to spring training or anything he he was just thrust back into it so he is getting back into it and then of course the Braves catching situation in general kind of fascinates me um and it frustrates me and fascinates me it is frustrating because the Braves had it's almost like darno and Murphy are too good for the catching situation the braa put them in right it's it's almost a 50/50 split I think when they got Murphy they envisioned it being more of a 6040 split or even a 7030 split with darno getting some DH at bats you'll remember at the time um Ozuna was coming off a terrible year it looked like um you know these catchers might DH some in fact they were dhing some in that really bad month that Ozuna was having to begin last year so I think it looked it looked a lot different when the Braves got Murphy um and you know you could dive into that whole decision again uh which I'm not going to do in this episode but um but right now it's kind of a 5050 split time situation um and they're almost too good for that like they both need more playing time but it just doesn't you you can't create that obviously and then at the same time I don't know if you guys are aware of this but Drake Baldwin down at Triple A catching Prospect is breaking down the door to get into the major leagues he looks like a for real Prospect uh a for real Major League catcher I mean pretty much ready to go and so that's really interesting to me too um a spot that the Braves are so strong in at the major league level and here you have um Drake Baldwin playing so well down in Triple A so I mean he could if they wanted to Drake Baldwin could be the future catcher of the Atlanta Braves if they were ever willing willing to open the door for him in that opportunity as well so every other team in baseball would would love to have the Braves catching situation uh most teams are struggling mightily just to find one legitimate starting catcher a guy who can uh catch well behind the plate call a good game frame pitches throw out some Runners and and actually hit the ball right uh and the Braves really have three guys um but I think how they're how they're playing those guys it's almost like you need to make a choice who are you going to commit to long term now now darno is older so you're not really going to commit to him long term but you might want to keep him around in the short term um so it really comes down to are you gonna just lean into Murphy and let him play a little bit more or or is Drake Baldwin the guy ultimately um you know how Alex will handle this position in the off season I think is going to be one of the bigger offseason uh storylines I don't want to dive too much into this because I want to focus on this season but I I brought it up so you know um what will happen in the offseason could darno retire I've heard some people wonder about that I find that really really unlikely considering he's playing at such a high level he's really bounced back in a big way this year because he didn't have a great offensive year last year Murphy was more the the offensive guy last year so but he's bounced back offensively playing at a really high level on a good team he loves his teammates he's he's really valued in the clubhouse so I find it unlikely that darno is going to retire I think he will be back next year could Murphy be traded uh Alex doesn't like trading guys that he just gave extensions to uh but clearly Murphy is not getting the playing time he needs or I think even the Braves expected to be able to give him um to really flourish right I mean you need to be able to hit and Play Pretty consistently and I think that's especially true for Murphy and let's be honest if you did trade Murphy even though he's had a down year you're going to get a pretty good haul for him because you're talking about an elite defensive catcher with real power who has shown for periods of time in his career that he can be All-Star level I mean first half of last year he was literally the best catcher in baseball one of the best players in baseball through the first half so he's shown flashes of that injuries and I think some other things you know have kind of gotten his way like playing time uh but I do think you could get a haul for him if you wanted to go there now could Drake bald would be traded to fill out the 2025 roster I guarantee his trade value is super high right now for any team looking for their catcher of the future you could probably Plug and Play him immediately if you were a team that needed a catcher I find it very interesting that Baldwin was not traded at the deadline um you know he he certainly was probably the the top position Prospect the Braves have um not probably he is and especially at such a a needed position for so many teams uh so the fact that Alex didn't go there um you know maybe he just didn't get the deal he wanted maybe he's being patient with that um but it could be a clue that the Braves have Baldwin in their future plans you know I mean I I would love to be in that room and hear uh Alex's true thought on the subject um so I I think Baldwin really should be in the Braves plans if you go back to my Prospect episode I did in the off season I'm you know I haven't been able to see a ton of Baldwin but but the video I've seen of him and and the you know the highlights and all those things I really love his swing I liked his swing before you know there were there were questions there were holes in his swing that sort of thing I liked it from the beginning and it's really he's just really come on this season and kind of proven the doubters completely wrong he's he's hitting righties well he he hits from the left side of the plate maybe you know shades of Brian mccan but hits from the left side of the plate but he hits righties and lefties really well um and uh and so that's something to be excited about and he's a solid defensive catcher uh doesn't have the arm of a sea Murphy but but solid defensively not a guy that you have real concerns about um that you know he's an offensive only catcher that's not him he he can he can handle uh behind the plate as well um so it's just a super interesting decision that the Braves are going to have to make obviously if you trade Murphy you get a little savings because you're going to have um you know Drake Baldwin on a on a rookie contract right so they might want to get under the the salary not cap but whatever it's called you know the CBT and and play it that way or use Baldwin to go out and get a pitcher you might lose Max Reed you're almost certainly going to lose Char Morton in the off season maybe use Baldwin to go get you know a need in a different area it's going to be really interesting to see how they play it if it was me um I think I think the decision to get Murphy was a little flawed I really like Shawn Murphy like in a vacuum I really like him I wish he could play 70% of the time and really see what he could do um you know offensively and and all those sorts of things things but that doesn't seem to be the reality um and again darno is a guy that I think you want to play 40% of the time so a 6040 split of darno and Drake Baldwin in his rookie year or maybe a 50-50 split uh makes a little more sense to me you save a little money um you could certainly get other assets by trading Murphy um so that's probably what I would do but it's something that I think um we can dive into a little more I also guys next episode is probably going to be a prospect episode I want to update you guys on my top 10 Braves prospects certainly uh as you can tell Drake Baldwin will be high on that list anyways let's get back to the 2024 Braves so meanwhile Chris S proves uh to be probably the co-mvp of the year for the Braves along with Marcelo Zuna who also by the way hit another three-run bomb last night that was really cool to see once again he just keeps doing it but Chris S was also on the mound last night and kept doing his thing and it really looks like he's cruising to his first Sai Young Award I don't want to jinx him or anything but man it does look good he is the betting favorite there's still a month and a half to go for sale but it sure looks like he might be separating himself from the field just with each Good Start he has it just seems to be solidifying his case Zack Wheeler and Paul SK are the two other guys if you look at the betting lines and all that sort of thing those are the two other guys that are kind of close to S um with with maybe a realistic shot to catch s if he were to have you know a blowup start or something I in my mind if he doesn't have a blowup start um and he just keeps going along you know like he did last night two runs what did he go six Innings um he he's going to win he's going to win it um and especially if he you know has some big games and big moments helps the Braves make the playoffs I really think Chris S is going to win the sa young now SK uh has taken baseball by storm and I mean obviously incredibly talented and certainly is going to be a sa young favorite for years to come if he stays healthy but this year he has you know he came up late he has 40 less Innings pitched than Chris S while s actually has a better K rate believe it or not uh better K rate per nine um and the two have very similar whips if if sale and skines were you know had the exact same Innings pitched uh with all their other you know peripheral numbers and all that it would be uh a dead heat uh in terms of those two I actually think sale might still slightly have it of course there's been a lot of hype around skin so it's all hypothetical but but I think because the Innings pitch thing SK is not going to win it even though might be a top three guy uh by the traditional metric so really it's between in my mind between Chris Sail and Zach wheeler uh so the traditional metrics uh let's just go through those really quickly s is 14 and three uh believe he leads the national league and wins uh 262 erra with 187 strikeouts in 140 and 2/3 Innings pitched wheeler is 12 12 and five with a 272 erra and 162 strikeouts and 148 and two3 innings pitched so he's got Sail by eight Innings pitched that really shouldn't be a surprise with how the Braves kind of manipulated their starting rotation through much much of the year they basically saved Chris saila about eight innings was it all worth that I don't know I don't know the answer to that but anyways um that being said he's he's slightly got him in erra he's got them by quite a bit in strikeouts especially strikeouts per nine innings now a few Advanced metrics sale by fangraph war is already at a 5.2 F War that's uh pretty remarkable with a A you know we have a month and a half to go uh he has a in term again Advanced metrics this is by um baseball Savant sale is in the 100th percentile in pitcher run value 998th percentile in EXP Ed er um 97th percentile in strikeout percentage and 99th percentile in hard hit rate so you just you really it would be hard to be better I mean that's that's the whole thing it'd be hard to be better than Chris Sale has been this year now wheeler uh by Fang grass War 3.6 F war and then by baseball Savant 98th percentile in pitcher run value 88th percentile in expected erra 8 first percentile in K percentage and 85th percentile in hard hit percentage now I'm cherry-picking a few of those but I mean if you look at the baseball Savant Pages you're going to see um some more uh you know some more categories but they're all pretty similar to this with sale being you know just that much more uh in a um you know category of his own basically so my my basic takeaway is wheeler has been Elite this year but sale has been um even more Elite right by nearly every metric Chris Hil has been the number one dominant most dominant pitcher in the National League and him and TK scoel basically are right there side by side in terms of dominance for the season scoble is the favorite to win the AL sa Young Award uh so sale has been everything and more that we brav fans could have hoped for uh coming off of five injury field Seasons with Boston uh it's just remarkable he should also probably win the comeback Player of the Year award um it has been a career Renaissance for Chris S before all those injury filled years it looked like he was a guaranteed Hall of Famer um maybe he's on the edge of that now but with a potential Sai Young season this year maybe he's back in line for that sort of thing um he was the 2017 Sai Young runner up uh he had four consecutive uh seasons in which he finished in the top five for the Sai Young voting in the American League so after those great Seasons he had those five injury field years and here he is back in Atlanta uh he's what 34 35 years old doing it again so really special stuff from sale and of course in this season uh where so much has gone wrong Chris hail has has been one of the very few consistent excellent perform performers for the Braves they would uh not be in playoff conten contention at all if it wasn't for Chris Sale so they're going to need to be they're going to need him to be just as good moving forward right he's got to be just as dominant every time out and uh you know for the brav make the playoffs that's just what is needed not to mention uh making a run for the playoffs the good news is the Braves have the best p in the National League and if they make the playoffs him being your game one starter sure gives you a lot of confidence um you know going forward Max freed hasn't been quite as good since he came off the iil hopefully he can lock it back in Spencer schwell and boach has been this has been another Super positive in you know a season of very few good uh good news stories for the Braves uh schwellenbach is a is a big time piece that is proving that he's going to be probably in their rotation for years to come so that's also been a really good thing so guys with with saale dominating Michael Harris is back uh roaming center field uh hitting bombs Schell and Bach emerging um as a really important piece in the rotation and the offense showing signs of life right finally showing some real Signs of Life this season comes down to health right I do feel better than I did a week week ago about the Braves and their chances but it really just comes down to health can the team stay healthy enough to put the best team on the field in September and of course hopefully in October make the playoffs and make a run in the playoffs um this season is more in question than any season we've had in the last five or six years uh but they still have all of that potential believe it or not they really do um I was feeling super down about a week ago and um you know I'm back up a little bit and that's of course the nature of a baseball fan and a baseball season um hopefully the Braves will beat the Angels today to um to finish off this road trip which would be a a very ultimately even though with that Colorado series very positive road trip and then what does that set up of course it sets up a three-game series where the Braves are going to face off against the Phillies they have not seen the Phillies in a long time um that will start Tuesday hopefully Solair will be back I would expect him to be back in the lineup um and a series win against the Phillies at home would be a great Next Step uh towards marching hopefully towards a playoff run so get Solair back get Ronaldo Lopez back in healthy eventually early mid-september get Azie back and you know we haven't talked much about it but AJ Mentor went down again with his hip injury I don't know that he'll be back this season but man it would be great if he could come back near the end of the season and be there for the playoffs so yeah get healthy as healthy as you can I mean everybody says it if you have your full team raring to go for the playoffs you're in great position so maybe they will and we don't know what's going to happen to these other teams as well if they're going to stay healthy or not so that's a big part of it uh but I do feel a little better about this team and man just having Michael Harris back is really awesome awesome to see him on the field so guys thanks for uh tuning in to another episode of save the Braves I'll talk to you soon