Michael Harris II

March 14, 2026

Could run more in 2026

Harris may be one of the players who benefits the most from Atlanta having hired Antoan Richardson as its new baserunning coach, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Analysis

Richardson was the man most responsible for Juan Soto's stunning 38-steal campaign in 2025, and the coach might have a little more to work with in Atlanta with Harris, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna all potentially capable of making a much bigger impact with their legs. A more aggressive approach on the basepaths also fits with new manager Walt Weiss' philosophy. "Antoan knows how important baserunning is to me," Weiss said. "It's really important to him, and he's made it important to the players." Harris has stolen exactly 20 bases three times in his four MLB seasons, but his 79th percentile sprint speed in 2025 suggests there's more production in the category to be unlocked.