Trey Harris Flies Under The Radar

Braves outfielder Trey Harris is somewhat under the radar in his own organization.

He has been overshadowed by an intriguing group of young outfielders that includes Cristian Pache, Drew Waters and Michael Harris.

Harris, who’s on the older side at 25, might not have the upside of the others, but he’s a player people within the organization have lauded. He opened this season at Double-A Mississippi.

As an amateur, Harris put himself on the radar with an outstanding final season at Missouri, when he hit .316/.413/.516. He was drafted in the 32nd round in 2018 by Atlanta.

Harris has continued his offensive production since turning pro. He was a career .308/.387/.458 hitter through more than 200 games.

The Braves has also been impressed with Harris’ defense, which lacks the flash of some of the other prospects in the system but is generally considered solid.

Harris packs some power in his 5-foot-11, 220-pound frame. He hit 14 home runs, 26 doubles and seven triples in 131 games 2019.

“Trey Harris—that kid can hit, man,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said in spring training. “It doesn’t matter the velocity or anything. When he gets in that batter’s box, he expects to hit.”

Harris started slowly in 2021 as he returned to Double-A, where he left off with 41 games in 2019. He could ascend quickly and take a spot in the Triple-A Gwinnett outfield later this summer.

“I grew up playing with Trey Harris since we’ve been 11 or 12,” said Braves infield prospect Jalen Miller, who was also at Double-A. “Growing up, he could always hit. He went to Mizzou for a few years and he obviously kept it up.

“Even when he got there, I was super impressed not with how well he was hitting, but just how he kept it going from level to level.”

WIGWAM WISPS

— Catcher Shea Langeliers, a Baylor product drafted 10th overall in 2019, has drawn rave reviews since joining the organization. He’s renowned for his defense, which should give him a high floor as a regular major leaguer, while his offense—he’s shown flashes of power—will determine his ceiling.

Like William Contreras, another prized catching prospect who’s been forced into a starting spot for the Braves due to injuries, Langeliers is a highly regarded athlete.

“That’s the nice part of what we’re starting to draft and develop now,” Braves catching coach Sal Fasano said. “We have Contreras, and actually (Alex) Jackson was a tremendous athlete, too. Offensively, I think he doesn’t probably have as much upside as William does. We have Shea Langeliers as a tremendous athlete.

“That’s what we’re trying to develop here. Guys who are—you hate to say interchangeable parts—but once you have an athlete, it’s a lot easier to teach the mechanics. And once you teach the mechanics, it’s easier for them to master it. Once they progress and get older, they start to add their own style to it. That’s what an athlete can do for you.”

— Triple-A Gwinnett manager Matt Tuiasosopo, highly respected in the organization, shared his thoughts on his role in player development.

“It’s just letting them go out there and play the game, especially with the lost year we had. A guy like Drew Waters, he missed a lot of valuable time,” Tuiasosopo said. “So the first part is just, ‘Go play, man. Go be free. Go shine the gifts you have. Go have fun every night.’

“Then you can come beside him, I think, and offer perspective on the everyday occurrences, whether that’s dealing with mindset things, approach, perspective through slumps and failures. For me, the biggest part is being able to deal with failures and the tough times. I like to spend a lot of time developing the mental side of the game, the right mindset and approach day in and day out. These guys are gifted. Physically, they’re really good at what they do.”