Braves Prospect Eric Hartman Emerging During Breakout Season at High-A

The 20th-round draft pick is close to 20 homers in 2026

Aug 2, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; GreenJackets outfielder Eric Hartman (17) throws the ball during the Augusta GreenJackets and Carolina Mudcats game at SRP Park. The GreenJackets won the fifth game of the series 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale - Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK | Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves outfield prospect Eric Hartman is one of the most fascinating stories from the first half of the 2026 minor league season.

Hartman, Atlanta's No. 3 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored for the High-A Rome Emperors on Sunday. The 20-year-old launched a two-run shot in the first inning of Rome's 11-10 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Following his latest long ball, Hartman now has 19 homers on the season. And according to MLB Pipeline, he's currently the only player in the minors or majors who has at least 15 home runs and over 25 stolen bases this year. With plenty of baseball left to be played in 2026, the lefty-swinging outfielder has quickly become one of the must-watch prospects in Atlanta's farm system, as well as the minor leagues as a whole.

Eric Hartman is looking like a major success story for the Braves

Jul 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Atlanta Braves 4th of July hat in the dugout against the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Hartman's scorching-hot start to the 2026 season is even more impressive when you take into consideration that he was a 20th-round draft pick by the Braves in 2024. And in 2025, the young prospect hit .240 with five home runs and 48 stolen bases in his first 90 minor league games.

Through 69 High-A games this season, Hartman has posted a .297 batting average, a .359 on-base percentage, and a .922 OPS with 19 homers, 49 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. That offensive production has seen the 20-year-old rise toward the top of Atlanta's prospect rankings, only behind pitchers Cam Caminiti and JR Ritchie. In 2025, the speedy outfielder wasn't even featured on MLB Pipeline's top-30 list for Braves prospects.

The Braves enter Monday's action atop the National League East with a 49-33 record, which means they'll probably be buyers at the trade deadline. While it's unclear if Atlanta would even entertain the idea of trading away some of its top prospects to go all in on winning this year, Hartman's breakout campaign would likely make him a name of interest for any rebuilding team negotiating with the Braves.

For now, though, Hartman most likely has his sights set on continuing his impressive season at High-A and possibly earning a promotion to Double-A at some point this year.