The MLB Pipeline crew likes to start each new year by projecting prospects poised to break out in the upcoming season. Among the candidates from each organization whom we highlighted last January, Michael Harris II stood out the most.
After getting off to a strong start in Double-A, Harris made the jump to Atlanta in late May and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award while placing 13th in MVP balloting. In the past 40 years, the only rookies age 21 or younger to top Harris’ 5.3 WAR (Baseball-Reference style) are Mike Trout (10.5 in 2012) and Julio Rodríguez (6.0 in 2022).
Harris was far from the only breakout performer whom we identified. Outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Evan Carter (Rangers) and Alex Ramirez (Mets) as well as catcher Austin Wells (Yankees) jumped onto our Top 100 Prospects list. Drey Jameson, Cal Mitchell, Andre Pallante and Michael Toglia all made their big league debuts.
