This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ATLANTA – With an abundance of young stars at the Major League level, the Braves’ farm system hasn’t recently been ranked among the game’s best. But the talent collected via the past few MLB Drafts has made Atlanta’s farm system as strong as it’s been in nearly a decade.
Here is a look at some of the players you may be seeing in Atlanta within the next few years.
Three players who forced their way onto the radar this year
OF Eric Hartman (Braves’ No. 1 prospect, No. 38 overall in MLB) entered this year ranked as the Braves’ No. 20 prospect and ended it ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 40 prospects. That’s putting yourself on the radar. The 20-year-old Canadian was taken by the Braves in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. His speed drew some attention when he stole 44 bases in 49 attempts for Single-A Augusta in 2025. But nobody was expecting the production he provided while hitting 24 homers and stealing 38 bases in 94 games with High-A Rome this year.
This speed-power combo made Hartman one of the game’s most intriguing prospects. But to legitimize his top prospect standing, he must prove himself at the higher levels. He hit just .182 with two homers and a .577 OPS over 157 plate appearances for Double-A Columbus after being promoted this summer. His speed is legit. But he must now show improvement against advanced pitching.
INF Tate Southisene (Braves’ No. 3 prospect, No. 58 overall in MLB) has been on Braves fans’ radars since being taken with the 22nd overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. But the 20-year-old infielder’s talents were introduced to a greater portion of the baseball world as he constructed an .875 OPS and stole 45 bases (55 attempts) while handling both Single-A and High-A during his first full professional season.
Southisene’s rapid rise was halted when a pitch fractured his wrist during his first game at the Double-A level. He made a full recovery and began playing in the Arizona Fall League last week. He doubled and stole two bases within his first three games in the AFL.
Southisene has played both middle infield positions during his first two professional seasons. His best value as an everyday player could be at second base. But his athleticism provides the option to play shortstop and possibly center field at some point.
OF Patrick Clohisy (Braves’ No. 16 prospect) has been exceeding expectations since the Braves gave him the assigned slot value of $150,000 after taking him out of Saint Louis University in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He entered this season as the Braves’ No. 26 prospect and exited it as one of their most intriguing.
Clohisy handled himself at the Double-A level, producing a .787 OPS while stealing 37 bases in 47 attempts. But the 24-year-old outfielder legitimized his success when he produced a .903 OPS while tallying 25 steals in 30 attempts after being promoted to Triple-A in July. The left-handed-hitting outfielder had a 26.8% strikeout rate once August arrived. For now, he looks like a fourth or fifth outfielder. But his speed has at least put him on the radar.
Two possible breakout players
INF John Gil (Braves’ No. 9 prospect): When Spring Training began, I wrote that Gil would be the Braves’ most-hyped prospect this year. That’s before I knew Hartman was going to put up video game numbers at the High-A level. But Gil still made strong strides, especially after being promoted to Double-A Columbus.
Gil produced a respectable .812 OPS in 35 games for Columbus. Like Southisene, this 20-year-old prospect rotated between both middle infield positions this year. He’s far from a finished product. But he could be among the prospects who make a strong rise next year.
OF Conor Essenburg (Braves’ No. 11 prospect): When a scout passed through Atlanta before the Trade Deadline, he raved about Essenburg, saying the young slugger would thrive once he better handled his emotions. This was around the same time the 20-year-old outfielder hit .500 (16-for-32) with three doubles, a triple and six homers over his final eight games for Single-A Augusta.
Essenburg then handled himself at the High-A level, producing an .804 OPS over 29 games. If he reduces the swing-and-miss that plagued him during that 29-game stretch, he too could make a rapid rise up the prospect board next year.
One question
It’s nice to see that the Braves once again have some decent position player prospects in their system. But there’s always a focus on pitching. JR Ritchie graduated out of the prospect pool this year. He and AJ Smith-Shawver will be rotation candidates in Atlanta next year.
So, who is the next wave of pitchers? Owen Murphy (Braves’ No. 10 prospect) and Cam Caminiti (Braves’ No. 2, MLB overall No. 39) could both be part of Atlanta’s plans at some point next year. Potential depth pieces to keep an eye on are Herick Hernandez (Braves’ No. 12) and Luke Sinnard (Braves’ No. 13).