Star first baseman Matt Olson did not hesitate to praise his teammate on the Atlanta Braves, Michael Harris. Harris is coming off a rookie of the year season in 2022 and will be a dominant player for years to come if he continues to develop. Olson is a seven-year veteran of the MLB and is no stranger to playing with rookies. So when he says one is the best, it has great meaning.
Michael Harris hit for a remarkable batting average of .297 and blasted 19 home runs. Harris is also a great defensive player in centerfield, where he played in 2022. He played in 114 games in 2022, and that number should only go up in 2023 and beyond.
Matt Olson praised Michael Harris on the Starting 9 podcast, a clip of which was uploaded to Twitter.
"The best young guy I’ve played with, position player wise" - Matt Olson
With the pairing of rookie phenoms Spencer Strider and Michael Harris, it is fair to say the Atlanta Braves had a great rookie class. The Braves are proving to be one of the best run organizations in the MLB. Not only are they able to find and develop these incredible talents, they are able to sign them to long-term contracts. This helps keep them as perrenial World Series contenders.
Also on the Starting 9 podcast, Matt Olson explained how committed the Atlanta Braves are to winning.
"Ownership will give you anything you want here" - Matt Olson
Considering Olson previously played for the Oakland Athletics, this was likely a pretty massive change of pace. Michael Harris is seemingly with the perfect team to continue his development and live up to his extremely high potential.
The Atlanta Braves will be a force in the National League for years to come
At this point, it seems like only injuries could derail what the Braves have built. With stars like Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley signed to team-friendly deals, they can continue to add weapons. Their competition in the NL East is steep with the New York Mets, but the Braves are up to the challenge.
The term dynasty is thrown around too often in sports, but we could be on the verge of one with the Atlanta Braves. As long as their developmental system stays excellent, they keep themselves in the conversation. Only time will tell how this era of the Braves is remembered, but they don't give many reasons to bet against them.