The Brave Atlanta raised

Braves center fielder Michael Harris II has never shied away from his love for Atlanta.

His rotation of walk-up songs is headlined by Atlanta rappers, including “Met Gala” by Gunna.

The “Money Mike” nickname.

The sideways-hat swagger after victories with star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.

And it’s for good reason — the 25-year-old is living out his childhood dream.

A metro Atlanta native, Harris was drafted by the Braves in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Stockbridge High School in Stockbridge, Georgia, and now captains the outfield for the team he grew up watching.

The last Braves player to carry out this kind of fantasy was Jason Heyward — Harris’ favorite player growing up — in the late 2000s

“I just wear Atlanta on my sleeve,” Harris told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s all I’ve known, and it’s where I’m from, so I take a lot of pride in that.”

That allegiance goes back to childhood, according to his mother, LaTaucha Harris. Even when his parents rooted for teams outside Atlanta, their son refused to budge.

“He was just like, ‘I’m from Atlanta. I’m repping Atlanta,’” she said. “And that’s it. I mean, that has been since a young child.”

The budding star has made a name for himself since being called up from the minor leagues in 2022. He was named National League Rookie of the Year, became one of the top center fielders in the MLB and a fan favorite in his hometown.

This year, Harris put together his best season at the plate, hitting a career-high 26 home runs with a .294 batting average after an up-and-down 2025.

And he’ll be in Atlanta for the foreseeable future. He signed an eight-year, $72 million contract extension with the Braves in 2022, just months after he made his MLB debut.

“He’s had a hell of a year, both sides of the ball. He’s made an unbelievable impact,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Harris in late September. “It’s been a heck of a turnaround, from the All-Star break last year and through this year.”

Harris increased his production in the playoffs, hitting .407 (11-of-27), with a home run, a triple, two doubles and four RBIs in seven total games against the Phillies and Dodgers.

That’s a pretty good reason for anyone to rep the city they work in, but it doesn’t paint even half the picture for Harris.

His locker offers more evidence. Bobbleheads of Atlanta figures and people important to Harris line the top, including Ludacris, childhood friend and Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler, former Braves coach Ron Washington and Acuña.

Below them hangs his collection of belts, many emblazoned with “Money Mike” in large font surrounding one other that reads “ATLIEN.”

“My four walk-up songs were all by Gunna, and he’s from Atlanta,” Harris told the AJC, following his three-hit performance in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. “It makes me feel comfortable. That’s why I did it today (and) it worked.”

That hometown connection resonates with fans.

Rob and Ethan Keel, a father and son from the same part of metro Atlanta as Harris, wore different versions of his jersey to Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against Philadelphia.

Ethan, 22, attended Union Grove High School, less than 10 miles from Stockbridge.

“I like seeing homegrown material, and Michael is a good representative of where he grew up, where we live, and the city of Atlanta,” Rob said. “I like the sportsmanship that he has, the energy he brings to the team, and I think one day, he’ll be a Brave for life. He’ll be a role model just like Chipper Jones.”

From Gresham Park to Truist Park

From a talent standpoint, Harris was leaps and bounds better than the average high-schooler, but the start of his youth journey wasn’t much different from any other Black player growing up in arguably the epicenter of Black baseball.

His early playing days featured experiences at Gresham Park, then working his way into the Braves RBI youth program and competing in annual showcases at Truist Park, such as the Hank Aaron Invitational and 44 Classic. He was coached in summer ball and trained under former Braves outfielder Marquis Grissom and former Braves pitcher Marvin Freeman.

Last Tuesday afternoon, his parents, LaTaucha and Michael Harris Sr., were fighting their way through Atlanta rush-hour traffic, trying to get to Truist Park in time for Game 3 of the Braves’ series against the Dodgers. As usual, their son was starting in center field.

For them, watching Harris play for Atlanta carries an added significance. Both of his parents were born and raised in the city. His father grew up playing baseball and going to Braves games, sometimes earning free tickets for doing well in school. Decades later, he introduced his own son to the team.

For his parents, Gresham Park meant long days and nights of practices, games and tournaments. It was also part of the family long before anyone imagined Harris patrolling center field for the Braves.

“I had a cousin that was a staple at Gresham Park, and he actually coached Michael when he was 3,” LaTaucha said. “Gresham Park has been in our family for years.”

At the time, Michael Sr. said, the goal wasn’t professional baseball.

“We weren’t thinking about the major leagues,” Michael Sr. said. “We were talking about getting a scholarship, going to college, stuff like that. But then all of a sudden ... scouts started coming out.”

That made what happened in 2022 even harder for his parents to comprehend. When Harris was called up to the Braves, his father picked him up from the airport and took him to the stadium. He followed his son into the clubhouse and lingered so long that team personnel eventually told him he had to leave because the Braves had a game to play.

Then he watched his son get his first major league hit.

“I swear I cried,” Michael Sr. said.

A role model for Black baseball

Harris’ upbringing and demeanor made longtime Braves fans Eric Chaney and Coley Works immediately fans of him as well. Once Works learned which high school the center fielder attended, he exclaimed, “Oh, he’s damn-near Atlanta!”

“It’s not too many players that came from the Atlanta area that got the chance to play for the Atlanta Braves,” said Chaney, who grew up near the Atlanta University Center. “He’s done everything; he’s been a cornerstone.

Chaney and Works raved about Harris, but simultaneously voiced their concerns about the lack of Black MLB players like him.

Fans of the Braves since the organization built Fulton County Stadium in the late 1960s, the two have seen the rise and decline of Black stars for decades.

Although MLB reported an increase in Black players on opening day rosters for the second straight year in 2026, Chaney and Works believe the league should do more to recruit and develop talent in Black and HBCU communities to produce more players like Harris.

Freeman remembers a different landscape. When he played for the Braves from 1990-93, he said the club always had “eight or nine Black players” on the team.

That history is part of why he remains involved in developing young players today.

“You hear so many people talk about the decrease in Black players in baseball, but it’s very few that are actually getting their boots on the ground and getting out there and getting their hands dirty,” Freeman said.

He sees Harris as part of an emerging group of Black players with Atlanta roots who have reached the major leagues, including Nasim Nuñez, Chandler Simpson and Jordan Walker. Freeman worked with them through MLB development programs before they reached baseball’s biggest stage.

“We’re hoping that the floodgates will open up,” Freeman said.

Harris is already doing his part to push Atlanta forward. After his NL Rookie of the Year campaign, he founded the Catch 23 Foundation to support underserved children across metro Atlanta. Its efforts include a charity golf tournament, back-to-school giveaways and other community programs.

“I noticed (that) I hold a bigger role being from Atlanta, being a Black player,” Harris said. “It’s not many that play the game anymore, so I try to go out there and set a good example. Show them that you can have fun and have some success at the same time.”

Freeman sees that influence extending well beyond Atlanta.

“He’s an example for all Black kids around the country because he gives them hope,” Freeman said. “They can see someone that looks like him perform on the stage that he’s on and have such a great time being who he is.”

Harris’ mother sees the influence every time she walks through Truist Park and sees dozens of people wearing “Harris II 23″ on their back.

She has even been known to quietly pick up the tab for fans she sees buying his jersey at the Braves store.

“It gives hope to the other young African Americans. They don’t see many of themselves out there,” LaTaucha said. “They could choose anyone. So I’m appreciative.”

‘I’m going to be down there one day’

Harris’ impact doesn’t just stop in metro Atlanta, either. Fourteen-year-old Gordon Owino and his father, Arnold, traveled four hours from Fort Mill, South Carolina, to see Gordon’s favorite player in the wild-card series.

It was a last-minute decision for the two. They decided at midnight that they were going, took off work and school and hopped on the road at 7 a.m. that day. By 1 p.m. they were inside Truist Park, watching batting practice and hoping to get a glimpse of Harris.

“I love the way that he’s come into the league, produced and also has shown to be resilient in a short time in the majors,” Arnold said.

Wearing a Harris jersey and grinning broadly, Gordon rattled off the things he likes about the outfielder, particularly how hot his bat can get.

Then the 14-year-old looked toward the field and made a prediction of his own.

“I’m going to be down there one day!”

Not long ago, Harris was the kid in the stands imagining himself on the field.

He mentioned he was at Truist Park for the Braves’ World Series run in 2021, watching future teammate Austin Riley’s heroic NLCS performances, which he documented on his X account.

Five years later, Harris etched his own name as a postseason hero. On Oct. 1, he hit a three-run homer in Game 3 against the Phillies, and he was a driving force in Atlanta’s first postseason series win since 2023.

Many similar moments could be ahead in Harris’ career path — and more importantly, a chance to shine in the area that raised him.