Former second-round choose and high outfield prospect Monte Harrison hasn’t appeared within the majors since 2022 and apparently isn’t pursuing a return to the massive leagues at this level. Slightly, he’s now dedicated to the College of Arkansas’ soccer staff as a walk-on huge receiver, as first reported by Richard Davenport of WholeHogSports.com.
Harrison, who’ll be 29 subsequent fall, would be the oldest participant in school soccer when the season will get underway. A 3-sport star at his Missouri highschool, he’d dedicated to play soccer for Nebraska earlier than the Brewers chosen him within the second spherical of the 2014 MLB draft (No. 50 general) and supplied a $1.8MM signing bonus. Harrison opted to forgo his NCAA dedication and switch professional in baseball.
Riley Boehm, Harrison’s highschool coach, tells Mitch Sherman of The Athletic that even on the time he was being chosen within the second spherical of the MLB draft, “My complete thought again then was that he’s an NFL participant, however he was caught on baseball.” Sherman spoke to Boehm and College of Nebraska baseball coach Will Bolt about Harrison’s long-shot soccer bid and freakish athleticism.
Although Harrison got here to skilled baseball with loads of pedigree, drew ample high prospect fanfare and in the end reached the majors, his MLB profession definitely did pan out as he’d hoped. After Harrison coupled his preternatural athleticism with a .272/.350/.481 line between two Class-A ranges in 2017, he emerged as a consensus top-100 prospect within the sport. Then 21 years of age, Harrison was one of many key items despatched from the Brewers to the Marlins within the Christian Yelich blockbuster that considerably altered the trajectory of each franchises.
Yelich broke out with an MVP displaying in his first season in Milwaukee, completed second in NL MVP voting his second yr there, and signed a franchise-record $215MM contract ($188.5MM in new cash) that runs by way of the 2028 season. The Marlins noticed all the prospects acquired in that commerce — Harrison, Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto — wrestle immensely in Miami. Not one of the 4 are with the group anymore.
Harrison performed elements of two seasons with the Fish (2020-21) and had a nine-game cup of espresso with the 2022 Angels as properly. He tallied simply 76 main league plate appearances throughout these three seasons and batted .176/.253/.294 with a 48.7% strikeout price. His bat by no means absolutely broke by way of even on the Triple-A stage, the place he slashed .238/.322/.398 with a 36.5% strikeout price in elements of 4 seasons (1179 plate appearances). His pace was nonetheless on show, nonetheless, as he swiped 90 baggage in 105 tries (85.7% success price). General, Harrison stole 210 minor league bases and was caught solely 39 instances — a superb 84.3% success price.
Although his baseball profession has fizzled out, Harrison nonetheless checks in at an imposing 6’3″ and 220 kilos. An eventual NFL emergence is an apparent lengthy shot, however Harrison’s journey will probably be a enjoyable story to trace within the months forward as he fights to maintain his skilled sports activities dream alive.