The Atlanta Braves have no shortage of veteran players failing to live up to expectations. Simply reaching career norms has been an outlier for the majority of Atlanta's starting lineup. This goes a long way in explaining why the Braves are in their current position. Add in the lack of offseason additions and endless rotation injuries, and the reasons why the season has imploded are obvious.
A big piece of this has been the alarming regression of Braves outfielder Michael Harris. Even the defender's elite glove cannot cover up what has happened at the plate in the first half of the 2025 season. Harris isn't just hitting below career norms; the struggles have made the outfielder the worst option in the league in the last weeks of the season.
The numbers bear this out, making it clear just how awful the defender has been. In a lineup this inconsistent, there is no covering it up or signs that things are close to turning in the right direction. It is past time to be alarmed and begin to consider taking drastic action if things don't quickly change after the time off.
The Braves Must Consider Demoting Michael Harris
It isn't a hot take to suggest the Braves need to move Harris down to Gwinnett and give the outfielder time to figure out what has gone wrong. This isn't punting on his future or believing that the 2025 season isn't the outlier. Rather, it sets a tone that this level of production will not be accepted, no matter your contract. It is hardly a difficult stance to take when you consider where Harris ranks the last weeks of the season.
It isn't turning the page, but simply giving Harris time to take a step back and make needed tweaks to find out what has gone wrong. In truth, it is a move the team should've made weeks ago when it became clear things weren't improving.
Now, with the benefit of the All-Star break, this should be the final straw in what the Braves decide. If the long break doesn't prove to make a difference for Harris, the franchise needs to pull the trigger on the demotion and move in another direction until meaningful change is found.