Braves Prospect John Gil Sets New Career High with Grand Slam

John Gil delivered a big blast for the High-A Rome Emperors on Tuesday night. The Atlanta Braves' No. 9 prospect hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.

John Gil! In the GRANDEST of fashions!

Emperors lead! pic.twitter.com/QFiLLZnD4F
— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) June 3, 2026

The Emperors went on to beat the Greenville Drive, 8-2.

With the grand slam, Gil has eight home runs on the season. It's the most he has hit in a season so far in his career, and he's played 50 games in 2026.

The bulk of his seven home runs came late in the 2025 season. At this time last season, he had just one home run, and his second didn't come until July 30, when a power surge sparked and has been going strong since.

While he was with Single-A Augusta last season, Gil won the Carolina League Player of the Month Award in August. That effort gave him the opportunity to finish the season with Double-A Columbus.

He started spring training in Braves' big league camp, and stood out with two home runs early in the Grapefruit League campaign. He added another for good measure during the spring breakout game in Tampa against the New York Yankees' prospects.

Along with the eight home runs, he's batting .266 with an .807 OPS and a ridiculous 27 stolen bases for good measure. He may not be in the position quite yet for a promotion, but he's progressing.

Gil was initially graded as a 45 overall on the 20-to-80 scale with a 40 grade on his power. So far, he's been able to beat those expectations. It's proving to be a nice complement to his blazing speed, which was appropriately graded as a 70.

The High-A level has featured some notable Braves prospect bats this season. Along with Gil, Eric Hartman and Isaiah Drake have been experiencing breakout campaigns. Hartman specifically been added to Baseball America's top-100 prospect list.

The highlights of the prospect pool have mainly been pitchers, with a significant exception being Rookie of the Year winner Drake Baldwin last year. Some bats are getting their time to shine. They're a ways away from any of them making an impact in the majors, but they're going to remain key players to keep an eye on.

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