MHII = Mr. Homers Twice
With injuries plaguing superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., Jr. and young phenom Drake Baldwin, the Braves offense might be expected to fall off a bit from their hot start to 2026. But on Thursday, Michael Harris II said “Don’t worry fellas, I got this” and (along with Mike Yastrzemski, see below) put the team on his back. The 25-year-old outfielder bookended Atlanta’s 9-3 win over the Marlins with a two-run HR off starter Sandy Alcantara in the first inning and a solo shot off closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth, finishing the game 2-5 with 2 HRs, 2 R, and 3 RBI.
Harris has had notoriously slow starts to his seasons in the past, as he has a career 88 wRC+ in the first half and much better 134 wRC+ after the break. That has not been the case this season as Harris is already up to 11 HRs with a .298/.324/.524 line. For perspective, Harris had just three HRs through May in 2025, when he set a career high with 20 HRs. If Harris has the same second half success that he has shown in the past, we could be looking at a true breakout 30 HR season for the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Thursday:
Brayan Rocchio (CLE): 3-3, 2 2B, R, SB.
Brayan Rocchio continued his incredible start to the 2026 season, getting a hit in every plate appearance and stealing his ninth bag on Thursday. Known for his outstanding defense, the normally light-hitting Rocchio has been a revelation at the plate for the Guardians, as his 130 wRC+ dwarfs his previous career-high of 79 in 2024. He already has four HRs (former career-high of eight) and the aforementioned nine steals (former career-high of ten) and he has basically cut his strikeout rate in half (10.6 K%). I’m not quite ready to annoint Rocchio this year’s Geraldo Perdomo, but his performance over the first two months certainly warrants monitoring going forward.
Dillon Dingler (DET): 2-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI.
If you predicted at the beginning of the season that Dillon Dingler would be leading the Tigers in HRs on May 22nd then you need to go play the lottery. But that is where we stand after Dingler hit his ninth of the season in the Tigers 3-1 loss to Cleveland on Thursday. Dingler’s barrel and hard-hit percentages are up significantly from 2025 and yet his .259 BABIP is down from .345 last season, which tells me that there might even be more int he tank for the 27-year-old catcher.
Brandon Lowe (PIT): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Brandon Lowe has hit a lot of home runs in his career, but I’m not sure he has ever hit one like he did in the first inning off Dustin May in Thursday’s 6-2 win for Pittsburgh. Before most fans had even gotten to their seats, Lowe hit a high fly ball down the line in left field that seemingly caromed off the top of the wall as Cardinals left fielder José Fermín went crashing into it. The ball shot into the outfield and Lowe easily cruised around the bases for an inside-the-park HR. However, multiple umpires signaled that the ball had gone over the fence despite replays showing that the ball clearly hit the top of the wall. Either way, it was Lowe’s 13th HR of the year and he is a huge reason for the Pirates much improved offense in 2026.
Ivan Herrera (STL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Operating as the DH on Thursday, Ivan Herrera tied the ballgame in the third inning as he smashed a Braxton Aschraft slider 108.7 mph and 408-feet for his sixth HR of the season. I am very excited about Herrera’s prospects for the rest of the season, as his combination of power (19 HRs in 2025) and plate discipline (13.0 BB%, 17.0 K%) should make him one of the most valuable offensive catchers in baseball.
Kyle Stowers (MIA): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It has been slow going for Kyle Stowers as he returns from an extended stay on the injured list to start the season, but his two homer performance on Thursday could be a sign that he is back to full strength. Let’s not forget that Stowers was an All-Star in 2025 when he hit 25 HRs with a .288/.368/.544 line in just 399 at-bats.
Mike Yastrzemski (ATL): 3-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Yaz, Jr. terrorized Sandy Alcantara and the rest of the Marlins pitching staff on Thursday, falling just a triple short of the cycle while hitting his third HR of the season. With Acuna leaving yesterday’s game with a thumb injury, Yastrzemski’s could be called upon to play an even bigger role going forward for Atlanta.
Nolan Schanuel (LAA): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Nolan Schanuel ripped a two-run HR off Athletics‘ starter Luis Severino in the first inning on Thursday, however that ended up being all the Angels could muster in their 3-2 loss. The former 11th overall pick had been slumping prior to yesterday and he is in a tough position batting in the middle of a brutal Angels offense.
