The Atlanta Braves' short-term outlook in the outfield is very uncertain. Ronald Acuña Jr. is here through 2028. Money Mike is here through 2032. Mike Yastrzemski is here through 2027 and has a club option for 2028. Beyond that, we have Mauricio Dubon and Lane Thomas who are both free agents after this year. He who we do not speak of is here through 2027, but there is real doubt that he ever suits up again for ATL.
That leaves a massive gap in left field and also leaves an option at right field/designated hitter just a tad farther out. Yes, Atlanta only traded for a platoon option for the rest of this year, but there may already be some long-term reasoning for that. The answer for both long term left field and Right field/DH may already be in house and could be here within a year and a half.
These are the internal candidates that could define the Braves' future in the outfield
1. Eric Hartman - has hit .256/.354/.825 with 26 home runs, 52 stolen bases and 49 total extra base hits. He has gone from CF primarily in Rome to left field in AA Columbus, where Atlanta happens to have this massive question mark.
Hartman's ceiling is astronomical. He has lit the world on fire this year and is having a historic year after just turning 20 years old. If you didn't already know Hartman was a 20th round pick, you wouldn't believe it. The last prospect to put up his combination of power and speed with these statistics was some guy named Andruw Jones.
This lineup, man.
— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) June 6, 2026
Eric Hartman tees off! pic.twitter.com/jXWcLDaUhq
2. AJ Gracia - Atlanta's first round pick (ninth overall) from the 2026 MLB Draft. He just hit .354/.489/1.121 with 14 home runs and more walks than strikeouts in college in a year he was playing with an injured shoulder. Gracia gets great reads off the bat and even though his speed is fringy, has the glove and reaction time to lock down an outfield spot for a long time, or platoon as a very solid dh option for Acuña Jr. even though his arm may be fringy for right field.
Gracia showed a lot of pop even with needing surgery on his labrum and chose to go ahead and get it done right after the draft to make sure he is ready early on in the year next year. There is definitely more pop in that left handed fluid swing once he is healthy. If he bounces back quickly, he could absolutely fly through the system and is still only 21 years old.
3. Carter Beck - Atlanta's first round pick at number 26 overall, and one should not sleep on this kid. Yes he was an under slot signing, but there was a reason he was still a 1st round pick. Beck has tools for days and his numbers where literally identical to Drake Baldwin in the same conference in college. Since being drafted, he has already been promoted and is blistering out of the gate, hitting .283/.400/.789 in 29 games and has only not been on base in four of those 29 appearances.
Beck walks 16% of the time while only striking out at a 18% clip. He has an incredible knack for putting the ball in play and finding the barrel and the tools to cover the outfield. Beck has seven extra base hits already to go along with 11 stolen bases and has already played a very solid center field. At 21 years old, he definitely has the tools and ability to fly through the Braves system.
CARTER BECK FIRST PRO HOMER FOR THE LEAD!!!!! pic.twitter.com/aJm5mLoW6e
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) August 16, 2026
4. Owen Carey - Another truly talented outfielder that has been manning right field every day, and the only reason he doesn't get the recognition others gets is because Carey missed a bunch of games with an oblique injury. Carey is a 15th round surprise and is hitting .259/.340 /.774 and in 89 games, already has 32 extra base hits and there is a LOT of line drive in his swing without much swing and miss, only striking out 20 percent of the time. Carey won't put up the insane exit velocities that Hartman can, but he constantly has bat to barrel and plays a very consistent right field night in and night out and also is 20 years old.
5. Patrick Clohisy - Clohisy has been trying his level best to force his way onto the roster this year. A 24-year-old prospect, Clohisy has been hitting .358/.439/.946 in 38 games in AAA. He is quite literally always on base and plays an incredible center field with 70 grade speed that plays both on the bases and in the field. Those may not be the numbers he will put up in the majors, but Clohisy does have Gold Glove potential, can absolutely fly, and is an on base machine.
6. Conor Essenburg - He may be farther out based on just his age alone, as this was his first year in professional ball, but Essenburg may have just had the best season in Atlanta's whole system. In 93 games, Essenburg hit to a .265/.416/.909 with 20 doubles, three triples and 17 home runs. He walked an insane 86 times in 93 games. He walked at a 20% rate while striking down at a 29% clip. Essenburg needs to cut down a little on the swing and miss, but he has plenty of plate discipline and incredible power and has been a consistent glove with a cannon of an arm that could lock down the right field position for a very long time.
As if that list isn't strong enough, there is more true MLB potential runs just a little behind the ones on this list.
- Dixon Williams
- Luis Guanipa
- Starlyn De La Cruz
- Diego Tornes
- Isaiah Drake
- Michael Martinez
- Sherrintley De Costa Gomez
The Braves' farm system is growing. It is getting stronger. The amount of in house options Atlanta has in house right now is a longer list than seen in a very long while. The long term answers to left field and right field are already in house.
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