Braves youth proving Atlanta is built for a dynasty, not a one-off

Atlanta Braves fans are falling in love with rookie stars Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider.

While the Atlanta Braves‘ farm system is nowhere near as deep as it once was, it has yielded two new rookie sensations: ATLien centerfielder Michael Harris II and the fire-balling, mustachioed phenomenon known as Spencer Strider.

Harris had been the Braves’ top prospect until very recently exhausting all his rookie eligibility. The Stockbridge native is thriving playing centerfield for his hometown team. Clearly, Atlanta made the right move by trading away its former centerfielder of the future in Cristian Pache to the Oakland Athletics in the deal that brought Lilburn native Matt Olson back into the hearts of Braves Country.

Though his bat has cooled off a tad, Harris keeps channeling his inner Andruw Jones in centerfield.

As for Strider as concerned, he is striking out batters at the clip of young Kerry Wood, Stephen Strasburg and Masahiro Tanaka since joining the Atlanta rotation a little over a month ago.

From Money Mike to Stache N Gas, Braves Country is falling in love with its two rookie superstars.

Atlanta Braves’ future is in great shape with Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider

It is no coincidence that the defending World Series champions have taken flight since these two rookies took off. Harris has been a huge catalyst in the everyday lineup manning centerfield. His defense speaks for itself. Not only does he provide great foot speed on the base paths, but Harris’ clutch gene has been on full display in the batter’s box, too. This guy has serious All-Star potential.

And when it comes to Strider, he is becoming a living legend every fifth day he toes the rubber. The man not only has a mustache that would make Tom Selleck mad jealous, but he brings the heat akin to Pedro Martinez from yesteryear. His insertion into the rotation has stepped up everyone else’s game, as Charlie Morton and Kyle Wright have pitched brilliantly over the last month or so.

Not since the Team of the ’90s era have we seen the Braves call up one top prospect after another and continue to have this level of success. From Chipper Jones to Andruw Jones to Rafael Furcal to Brian McCann to Jeff Francoeur, what a beautiful ride it was. While Atlanta needs to keep pace with the New York Mets in the NL East, the Braves can still win their fifth division title in a row.

Ultimately, you cannot deny how important it is to see Harris and Strider play with this type of confidence so early in their big-league careers. Yes, it does help having a top-tier team backing you up, but it also means 25-man roster spots are difficult to come by. Furthermore, the pressure of these big spots can eat lesser prospects alive. Just not this Braves tandem, as they are balling out.

Harris and Strider look to be mainstays on future Braves teams, allowing their dynasty to prosper.