It was mid-summer 2022, and Michael Harris II was still wondering how much of the season he’d spend in the majors when a clubhouse attendant approached him to say that Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos wanted to speak with him.
The Braves’ top prospect turned 21 a month before Opening Day that season and debuted for his hometown club in late May — to instant success. By the All-Star break, he had an OPS of .816 while patrolling center field for the reigning champions en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
Still, he was “very surprised” when it turned out that Anthopoulos wanted to talk to him about his playing time in Atlanta not over the next few months but over the next decade.