Bio
Chase Harris is the longest tenured position player on the X’s roster, having joined the team in 2021. He is a former defensive player of the year (2021), holding down centerfield the last three seasons. The Idaho native is one of eight players in franchise history to steal at least 30 bases in a season, swiping 33 in his first year with Sioux City in 2021. His 72 stolen bases places him ninth all time in the club record books going into the 2024 season. In the outfield, Harris has been a human highlight machine in the Siouxland. In his first season with the X’s, Harris was named the 2021 defensive player of the year. He joined Tony Campana (2017) as the second Explorer to win the award with 116 put outs and a perfect fielding percentage. His highlight gems would carry him to his second award in 2022.
In 2023 Harris fought through some lingering injuries to play in 95 games, two behind Vince Fernandez who led the club. He hit .210 with five home runs and 29 RBI for the X’s. Harris was 26-for-31 in stolen bases, placing him second behind Delvin Zinn’s 29. He would slash a line of .210/.316/.315 in 2023.
Harris had a successful 2022 that resulted in a career year where he hit .282 with seven home runs , 30 RBI and 13 SB. He would slash a line of .282/.378/.411 while setting a professional career high in home runs and RBI. His 14 doubles placed him second on the team for the season. In 2021 with the Explorers, he batted .251 with a .344 OBP while hitting 5 HR. He also set a career high in SB with 33 while crossing the plate 51 times for the Explorers. After missing the 2020 season Harris returned to play in 89 games for the Explorers good for third on the team while hitting .251 with five home runs and 27 RBI. He led the club with 33 stolen bases and was third in runs scored with 51. Harris slashed a line of .251/.344/.336.
Harris didn’t play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in the Canadian-American Association. In 2019 Harris played in 92 games for Rockland, hitting five long balls and driving in 27 runs while swiping 26 bags. In 2018 he suited up for Ottawa where he played in 101 games, hitting .296 with two homers and 29 RBI. He would add another 24 stolen bases during the season in Canada.
Harris also spent parts of two seasons with the Gary SouthShore Railcats. He played in 96 games in 2017, belting five home runs and knocking in 29 runs with 27 team-leading stolen bases. He would slash a line of .263/.334/.365 in his only full season with Gary. He started the 2016 season with Lincoln, playing in 25 games and hitting .191 with four RBI. The Railcats would sign Harris following his release where he would play in 38 games with a .299 average with one home run, 12 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Harris was picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round of the June 2014 draft out of the University of New Mexico. He spent two seasons in the Phillies system, reaching Advanced A ball. In 2015 he split time between High-A Clearwater and Low-A Lakewood. In 24 games at Lakewood, he hit .225 with five RBI and six stolen bases while hitting at a .265 clip at Clearwater with 18 RBI adding another 15 stolen bases. In his rookie season of 2014, Harris made another pair of stops at rookie-level GCL and short-season A Williamsport. He played seven games with the Phillies GCL team, hitting .333 and 26 contest at Williamsport. Harris hit .235 at Williamsport with seven RBI.
At the University of New Mexico, Harris earned spots on three All-America teams: second team by the NCBWA, third team by the ABCA and fourth team by College Sports. He also picked up All-Mountain West first-team honors with the Lobos in his final season in Albuquerque. Harris started all 58 games in right field and would bat third in the lineup for UNM. He would lead the team with a .377 average, eight home runs and 63 RBI. His 46 runs scored was good for second on the team with 11 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Harris also led the Mountain West with 28 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games during the 2014 season.
During his Junior season, he started all 59 games in right field, one of only two Lobos to start every game in the same position. Harris hit leadoff for 44 games with the Lobos, going 31-13 in that span. Harris hit .321 with 15 doubles, three triples and five home runs while scoring 57 runs and driving in 48. Harris was the leader on the base paths with 19 team-leading stolen bases.
Prior to going to UNM, Harris played at the college of Southern Idaho where he was named Region 18 Player of the Year in 2012. He would hit .407 with eight home runs, 62 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 2012. Harris was born in Boise, Idaho and played high school ball at Centennial High School in Boise. He has four siblings, and prior to the 2023 season, he became a father for the first time.