Monte Harrison

From a raw-skills perspective, Harrison has the look of a future fantasy force, as he possesses both impressive power and speed (his 28.8 ft/s sprint speed ranked in the 94th percentile among major-leaguers in 2020). However, the 2014 second-round draft pick was completely overmatched in his first taste of the big leagues last season, striking out in 51% of his plate appearances. The huge strikeout numbers have been a problem throughout Harrison's time as a professional -- he whiffed 215 times in 2018 and has a career 30.8 K% in the minors -- shedding light upon his biggest obstacle to becoming a successful major-leaguer. Harrison knows how to use his wheels (84.1 percent success rate on 164 stolen-base attempts in the minors) and his bat speed and outfield arm are both considerable weapons, but at age 25 he's running out of time to fix the holes in his swing. He'll likely open next season in Triple-A.

The most impressive aspect of Harrison's season was that he cut his strikeout rate from 36.9% at Double-A in 2018 to 29.9% at Triple-A while upping his walk rate from 7.5% to 10.2%. Making contact and getting on base at passable rates will be what makes or breaks Harrison's career. An elite athlete, Harrison has plus speed and huge raw power, so he just needs to hit enough for his loud tools to play. Wrist and hamstring injuries limited him to 56 games in the Pacific Coast League, and he posted his worst groundball rate (53.5 GB%) above Low-A -- a byproduct of him improving his approach. Given the longstanding concerns about Harrison's hit tool, it's an achievement for him to be on track to make his MLB debut in his age-24 season. We still don't know if he will hit enough against big-league pitching to be a regular, but if he does, he will have 30/30 upside.

One of the top prospects the Marlins received from the Brewers in exchange for Christian Yelich last winter, Harrison took a step backward in his first year with Miami following his breakout campaign in 2017. The 23-year-old hit just .240/.316/.399 across 136 games in his first taste of Double-A, striking out a whopping 215 times (36%). Harrison reworked his swing during spring training, which could have contributed to some of his struggles, and it's worth noting that he looked more comfortable against fellow prospects in the Arizona Fall League. The outfielder possesses an impressive power/speed combo, as evidenced by his 19 homers and 28 stolen bases at Double-A in 2018, though there's still skepticism surrounding his ability to make enough contact against big-league pitching for those skills to shine through. Harrison could get a look with the big club at some point in 2019, depending on how he adjusts to upper-level pitching.

After several subpar years as a pro things finally came together for Harrison in 2017 in his age-20 season, as he posted an .832 OPS while totaling 21 home runs and 27 stolen bases across the Low-A and High-A levels. That earned him a trip to the Arizona Fall League, and he more than held his own against his fellow top prospects, finishing with a .937 OPS. Questions remain about Harrison's ability to hit for average, but he made significant strides in the power department and converted 87 percent of his stolen-base attempts a year ago. With the stats to match his 20-20 potential from the center field position, expect to see Harrison much higher on prospect lists than he was just a year ago. He will ply his trades for a new organization in 2018 after being acquired from the Brewers in the trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee.

Injuries have kept Harrison's professional career from launching. He was limited to just 74 games in 2015 by an ankle injury, and in 2016 a wrist injury kept him to just 80 games, 75 of which came with Low-A Wisconsin. He never got settled in last season, as he finished with a brutal .221/.294/.337 batting line. He struck out in a Ryan Howard-esque 32.6 percent of plate appearances, without providing any notable power or plate discipline. Harrison is just 21 years old, full of tools and has a projectable frame at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, but he's going to need to show some results sooner rather than later. The first step will be to stay injury-free and get the consistent playing time he needs to improve.

After a strong year in the Arizona League, Harrison struggled in his first season with Low-A Wisconsin. His .246 OBP and .247 SLG even prompted a demotion to rookie-level Helena. He was able to tear up the Pioneer League to the tune of a .884 OPS, but unfortunately Harrison had to call it a season after breaking his ankle in July. While a leg injury to a speed threat is never a good thing, the 20-year-old should be fully recovered by spring training and ready to go for 2016. If he can build off of his rookie-level numbers, Harrison can still regain his top-prospect status. Most likely, he will begin that effort with a return to the Midwest League at Low-A Wisconsin in April.

The Brewers selected Harrison despite a strong commitment to play football collegiately at Nebraska, but they ended up convincing him to play baseball instead, and may have gotten a steal with the 50th pick of the draft. In 50 games with the Brewers’ Rookie League team in Arizona, Harrison posted an impressive .402 OBP, and was an ultra-efficient 32-of-34 on stolen base attempts. He is a few years away from being an option for the Brewers, but he is on his way to playing center field for them at some point down the road.