Monte Harrison

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #11 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins acquired Harrison as part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers before the 2018 season. Harrison had a rough debut in the Marlins' system with 215 strikeouts at Double-A Jacksonville, but he rebounded with a solid showing at Triple-A the following year. The Marlins called Harrison up for his major league debut in 2020, when he had a chance to earn playing time in center field but instead hit .170 with 26 strikeouts in 51 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Harrison is a physical, explosive athlete with plus-plus raw power and speed, plus arm strength and the ability to play all three outfield positions. The issue is he struggles to make contact. He's made multiple adjustments to level out his swing throughout his career but still strikes out prodigiously. He is prone to chasing outside the strike zone and, even when doesn't chase, swings and misses way too frequently against all types of pitches in the strike zone. With his current approach and swing, Harrison projects as a well below-average hitter, at best, who will struggle to turn his raw power into production.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's high strikeout rate dampens his tantalizing tools. Whether he can stick on a major league roster in any capacity hinges on him figuring things out at the plate and making more contact.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #6 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted by the Brewers in the second round in 2014, Harrison joined outfielder Lewis Brinson, second baseman Isan Diaz and righthander Jordan Yamamoto as part of the return in the January 2018 trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Harrison struggled with swing-andmiss issues in his first year with the Marlins and then played in just 58 games in 2019 because of a right wrist injury he suffered while making a diving catch on June 26.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Prior to his injury and subsequent surgery, Harrison was showing improvements at the plate. He toned down a high leg kick last offseason and turned it into a more subtle toe tap, helping him reduce his strikeout rate from 36.9 percent at Double-A in 2018 to 29.9 percent at Triple-A in 2019. It's a step in the right direction for a hitter who has excellent bat speed and plus raw power. Harrison is a plus runner with great instincts on the bases, and he stole 23 bases in 25 attempts in just 58 games this season. Capable of playing all three outfield spots, he has spent the majority of his time as an above-average center fielder. He could also be a plus defender with a plus arm in right field, if needed.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's injury torpedoed his chances of making his major league debut in 2019, but that should come sometime in 2020. Now healthy, Harrison was scheduled to play winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason before potentially beginning the season with touch-up work at Triple-A.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: After a breakout 2017 in which he hit 21 home runs and stole 27 bases with the Brewers' high Class A affiliate, Harrison was acquired by the Marlins for eventual National League MVP Christian Yelich in January. Harrison took a step back while getting his first taste of Double-A in 2018, though he continued showing off the power-speed combination that makes him such an enticing prospect despite his swing-and-miss issues.
  
  Scouting Report: Perhaps the best pure athlete in the Marlins' system, Harrison has excellent bat speed and plus raw power. When he makes contact, he consistently hits the ball as hard as any Marlins prospect. Harrison has recently toned down his high leg kick and replaced it with a simpler toe tap he now uses as a timing mechanism. With fewer moving parts in his swing, Harrison is aiming to cut down his strikeout rate (37 percent in Double-A) without sacrificing too much power. Harrison started using the muted toe tap in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .288/.374/.342 with three extra-base hits and 20 strikeouts in 73 at-bats. Defensively, Harrison has the range to play an above-average center field, though his plus arm strength would also play in right field.
  
  The Future: Harrison may possess the highest upside of any position player in the Marlins' system, and he'll continue to work on making more consistent contact at Triple-A New Orleans in 2019.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #5 prospect in 2018
  The Brewers found out what Harrison could do if only he stayed healthy. In a breakthrough 2017 he reached high Class A Carolina, played in 122 games and demonstrated his power-speed potential with 21 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He had missed time in 2015 with a gruesome ankle injury and in 2016 with a broken left hamate. He appears to be back on track after having his mental toughness tested multiple times. A strong, powerful athlete who could have played college football, Harrison has excellent bat speed with budding power. He sometimes gets long with his swing, resulting in big strikeout numbers, but overall has a good approach and is getting better at pitch recognition. Harrison has plus speed, making him a basestealing threat and also an above-average outfielder. He can handle center field but probably projects as a right fielder because of his physical frame. After missing so much time early in his career, Harrison merely needs at-bats to realize his impact potential. Harrison appears destined for Double-A Biloxi in 2018. One of the more impressive athletes in the system, he requires only maturity and repetitions.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #20 prospect in 2017
  No one will ever know what Harrison would have accomplished in his first pro seasons had he stayed healthy. The 2014 second-round pick played just 74 games in 2015 because he slipped rounding third base at Rookie-level Helena and broke his left tibia and ankle. It took a metal plate and screws to repair but Harrison worked hard on his rehab and got ready for 2016. Playing at low Class A Wisconsin, Harrison suffered a broken hamate bone in his left wrist that sidelined him for two months. So one of the best athletes in the system had his development stalled twice, making 2017 a big year for him. When healthy, Harrison has excellent bat speed that should allow him to develop at least average power because of his physical strength. He has plus speed that makes him a threat on the bases and a powerful arm that plays at any outfield spot. Harrison does get long with his swing and has piled up too many strikeouts, but he merely needs to get at-bats and make adjustments. Harrison shined at 2016 instructional league and can develop into an impact player on both offense and defense if he can just stay on the field.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #14 prospect in 2016
  Rather than keep the 19-year-old Harrison in extended spring training, where monotony can work against some players, the Brewers opted to push him to low Class A Wisconsin to begin the 2015 sea- son, knowing they could move him back to Rookie-level Helena in June if he struggled. Sure enough, Harrrison struggled, and not just a little bit. He hit .148/.246/.247 in 46 games with a strikeout rate of 42 percent, but once demoted to the Pioneer League, he took off, recording an .884 OPS through 28 games before experiencing a gruesome lower leg injury. Trying to put on the breaks after rounding third base, he incurred a left tibia fracture and dislocated ankle that required a metal plate and screws to repair. When healthy, Harrison is an exciting, athletic player to watch. He can be dynamic on the basepaths, using plus speed and daring to steal bases and go from first to third base in a flash. Harrison has plus bat speed with an advanced approach and plate discipline. His athleticism and speed also plays well in center field, where he chases down flies with ease. But he also has enough arm strength to play right field if his power develops. A lottery ticket at this stage, Harrison could be ready for spring training and probably will be given another shot at Wisconsin in 2016.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #4 prospect in 2015
  Considered by many to be the best athlete in the 2014 draft, Harrison landed with the Brewers in the second round. They forked over $1.8 million to entice him to forego a scholarship to play both baseball and football at Nebraska. Upon reporting to the Rookie-level Arizona League, Harrison put the tools on display that make him special. Harrison led the AZL with 31 walks, showcasing impressive plate discipline, and also swiped a circuit-best 32 bases while getting caught just twice. He has plus bat speed, and though his swing needs more polish and consistency, he showed an advanced approach and patience. He stood tough in the batter's box, getting hit 12 times by pitches. His speed not only makes things happen on the bases but also plays well in center field, where he just needs more experience. But he also could settle into right field, where his strong arm will play. In terms of tools and upside, Harrison might have been the most impressive player in the AZL. He showed little power, but that could come with time and isn't a necessity considering his other skills. The Brewers could challenge him by sending him to low Class A Wisconsin in 2015, but no matter where he lands, he has the makings of an exciting player to watch.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #20 prospect in 2014 draft
  The best athlete in the draft has an impressive highlight reel of dunks in basketball and is better at football, where the 6-foot-2, 201-pounder is a star wide receiver recruit for Nebraska. As a Midwestern football/baseball signee for the Huskers, Harrison earns comparisons to 2011 first-rounder Bubba Starling, but he's a better athlete and faster, though he's not as strong (or taller) as Starling was at the same stage of development. Like Starling, the questions about Harrison surround signability and his feel for hitting. Harrison has used wood bats in games this spring and has shown aptitude while remaining raw and inconsistent in his approach. Scouts who believe in Harrison see plus bat speed, passion for the game and baseball instincts. They also see 6.6-second speed in the 60 that should help Harrison stay in center field, as well as plus-plus arm that reached 97 mph from the outfield in showcases. Some believe that the strong-bodied Harrison will fit best in a corner in the long term, with his arm giving him a classic right field profile. His speed played at average out of the box on the showcase circuit but he is a gliding runner who is at least plus underway. Harrison shows well above-average raw power in batting practice, but has more of a line-drive swing path in games, so it's going to come down to how he develops at the plate. But he made a solid amount of contact on the showcase circuit given how few baseball reps he has had compared to his peers. He has star-caliber makeup with leadership qualities and charisma that endears him to his teammates. He's not expected to go out as high as Starling did, but several scouts in the Midwest consider him a better prospect, give him a better chance to hit and is not as old as Starling at the time of the draft, though Harrison will be 19 by the end of the minor league season.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #7 prospect in 2017
  Though Harrison has missed a boatload of time in his pro career, his tools showed well during his half-season with Carolina. He showed power at the plate and speed that translated both in the outfield and on the basepaths. Harrison, who was a wide receiver in high school who committed to play football at Nebraska, tracks the ball with ease in center field. He also has an above-average arm that makes him an asset in right field on the days when manager Joe Ayrault played either Trent Clark or Corey Ray in center field. Harrison's power showed up in the Carolina League as well. He hit 10 home runs after being promoted to Carolina on June 23 and tied Salem's Jordan Betts for the second-most in the league during that period. He's a plus runner on the bases who shows the instincts to steal bases or take extra bases.
• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #6 prospect in 2015
  Harrison began the 2015 season at low Class A Wisconsin, but the raw, athletic outfielder understandably struggled, hitting .148 with 77 strikeouts in 46 Midwest League games. Sent down to Helena at midseason, he showed great improvement and put in a good first month before fracturing his left ankle rounding third base. A physical specimen, Harrison was regarded as the best athlete in the 2014 draft class and rivals any minor leaguer in that regard. Harrison featured some of the loudest tools in the league. Already one of the best defensive outfielders in Rookie ball, he showed signs of starting to figure it out at the plate. The key to the improvement was getting his hands loaded earlier so that he was ready to see the ball sooner. Harrison is a little slow getting out of the box but is a plus runner underway, and he's an instinctual baserunner who now has swiped 52 bases in 124 career games. He flashes a plus arm and makes throws with good carry.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #7 prospect in 2014
  The Brewers selected Harrison, the best athlete in the 2014 draft, one pick before the Padres took Michael Gettys in the second round. The Brewers forked over an over-slot $1.8 million to keep Harrison from heading to Nebraska to play both football and baseball. He also starred in basketball in high school, as documented by multiple YouTube videos. Less refined than the AZL outfielders ranked ahead of him, Harrison possesses the loudest tools of anyone. He has plus bat speed but needs reps to refine his approach, though he drew a league-leading 31 walks in 50 games. Harrison already is a plus baserunner, leading the league in stolen bases with 32 while being caught just twice. His plus speed would allow him to stay in center field with more experience there, and a plus-plus arm gives him the ability to handle right. Harrison has perhaps the most upside of anyone in the league. "I see him as a big leaguer when he figures it out and puts it together," Brewers manager Nestor Corredor said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #75 prospect in 2018

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins acquired Harrison as part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers before the 2018 season. Harrison had a rough debut in the Marlins' system with 215 strikeouts at Double-A Jacksonville, but he rebounded with a solid showing at Triple-A the following year. The Marlins called Harrison up for his major league debut in 2020, when he had a chance to earn playing time in center field but instead hit .170 with 26 strikeouts in 51 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Harrison is a physical, explosive athlete with plus-plus raw power and speed, plus arm strength and the ability to play all three outfield positions. The issue is he struggles to make contact. He's made multiple adjustments to level out his swing throughout his career but still strikes out prodigiously. He is prone to chasing outside the strike zone and, even when doesn't chase, swings and misses way too frequently against all types of pitches in the strike zone. With his current approach and swing, Harrison projects as a well below-average hitter, at best, who will struggle to turn his raw power into production.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's high strikeout rate dampens his tantalizing tools. Whether he can stick on a major league roster in any capacity hinges on him figuring things out at the plate and making more contact.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins acquired Harrison as part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers before the 2018 season. Harrison had a rough debut in the Marlins' system with 215 strikeouts at Double-A Jacksonville, but he rebounded with a solid showing at Triple-A the following year. The Marlins called Harrison up for his major league debut in 2020, when he had a chance to earn playing time in center field but instead hit .170 with 26 strikeouts in 51 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Harrison is a physical, explosive athlete with plus-plus raw power and speed, plus arm strength and the ability to play all three outfield positions. The issue is he struggles to make contact. He's made multiple adjustments to level out his swing throughout his career but still strikes out prodigiously. He is prone to chasing outside the strike zone and, even when doesn't chase, swings and misses way too frequently against all types of pitches in the strike zone. With his current approach and swing, Harrison projects as a well below-average hitter, at best, who will struggle to turn his raw power into production.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's high strikeout rate dampens his tantalizing tools. Whether he can stick on a major league roster in any capacity hinges on him figuring things out at the plate and making more contact.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins acquired Harrison as part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers before the 2018 season. Harrison had a rough debut in the Marlins' system with 215 strikeouts at Double-A Jacksonville, but he rebounded with a solid showing at Triple-A the following year. The Marlins called Harrison up for his major league debut in 2020, when he had a chance to earn playing time in center field but instead hit .170 with 26 strikeouts in 51 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Harrison is a physical, explosive athlete with plus-plus raw power and speed, plus arm strength and the ability to play all three outfield positions. The issue is he struggles to make contact. He's made multiple adjustments to level out his swing throughout his career but still strikes out prodigiously. He is prone to chasing outside the strike zone and, even when doesn't chase, swings and misses way too frequently against all types of pitches in the strike zone. With his current approach and swing, Harrison projects as a well below-average hitter, at best, who will struggle to turn his raw power into production.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's high strikeout rate dampens his tantalizing tools. Whether he can stick on a major league roster in any capacity hinges on him figuring things out at the plate and making more contact.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted by the Brewers in the second round in 2014, Harrison joined outfielder Lewis Brinson, second baseman Isan Diaz and righthander Jordan Yamamoto as part of the return in the January 2018 trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Harrison struggled with swing-andmiss issues in his first year with the Marlins and then played in just 58 games in 2019 because of a right wrist injury he suffered while making a diving catch on June 26.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Prior to his injury and subsequent surgery, Harrison was showing improvements at the plate. He toned down a high leg kick last offseason and turned it into a more subtle toe tap, helping him reduce his strikeout rate from 36.9 percent at Double-A in 2018 to 29.9 percent at Triple-A in 2019. It’s a step in the right direction for a hitter who has excellent bat speed and plus raw power. Harrison is a plus runner with great instincts on the bases, and he stole 23 bases in 25 attempts in just 58 games this season. Capable of playing all three outfield spots, he has spent the majority of his time as an above-average center fielder. He could also be a plus defender with a plus arm in right field, if needed.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison’s injury torpedoed his chances of making his major league debut in 2019, but that should come sometime in 2020. Now healthy, Harrison was scheduled to play winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason before potentially beginning the season with touch-up work at Triple-A.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted by the Brewers in the second round in 2014, Harrison joined outfielder Lewis Brinson, second baseman Isan Diaz and righthander Jordan Yamamoto as part of the return in the January 2018 trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Harrison struggled with swing-andmiss issues in his first year with the Marlins and then played in just 58 games in 2019 because of a right wrist injury he suffered while making a diving catch on June 26.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Prior to his injury and subsequent surgery, Harrison was showing improvements at the plate. He toned down a high leg kick last offseason and turned it into a more subtle toe tap, helping him reduce his strikeout rate from 36.9 percent at Double-A in 2018 to 29.9 percent at Triple-A in 2019. It's a step in the right direction for a hitter who has excellent bat speed and plus raw power. Harrison is a plus runner with great instincts on the bases, and he stole 23 bases in 25 attempts in just 58 games this season. Capable of playing all three outfield spots, he has spent the majority of his time as an above-average center fielder. He could also be a plus defender with a plus arm in right field, if needed.
  
  THE FUTURE: Harrison's injury torpedoed his chances of making his major league debut in 2019, but that should come sometime in 2020. Now healthy, Harrison was scheduled to play winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason before potentially beginning the season with touch-up work at Triple-A.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  One of four prospects the Marlins acquired from the Brewers for Christian Yelich, Harrison has struggled in his first taste of Double-A. He showed his trademark power and speed but that was mitigated by a sky-high strikeout rate that bordered on 40 percent. Harrison is one of the most athletic players in the system and has the potential to be a power-speed center fielder. Despite his plus bat speed, Harrison’s swing can get long and he tends to get overaggressive at times.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Brewers found out what Harrison could do if only he stayed healthy. In a breakthrough 2017 he reached high Class A Carolina, played in 122 games and demonstrated his power-speed potential with 21 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He had missed time in 2015 with a gruesome ankle injury and in 2016 with a broken left hamate. He appears to be back on track after having his mental toughness tested multiple times. Scouting Report: A strong, powerful athlete who could have played college football, Harrison has excellent bat speed with budding power. He sometimes gets long with his swing, resulting in big strikeout numbers but overall has a good approach and is getting better at pitch recognition. Harrison has plus speed, making him a basestealing threat and also an above-average outfielder. He can handle center field but probably projects as a right fielder because of his physical frame. After missing so much time early in his career, Harrison merely needs at-bats to realize his impact potential. The Future: Harrison appears destined for Double-A Biloxi in 2018. One of the more impressive athletes in the system, he requires only maturity and repetitions.