The number of people who had actually informed opinions on Eric Hartman when the Atlanta Braves picked him in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft was very small. There just is not much in the way of coverage of prep baseball in Alberta, Canada in the states, and Hartman wasn't considered a top draft prospect or even signable given his Michigan commitment during his draft year. However, the Braves took a chance on him, and that is paying off in a huge way this year.
After being drafted, Hartman got his start in the low minors like any other high school draftee in 2025 and was honestly pretty unremarkable. Hartman was certainly fast and did not seem to struggle making contact with real velocity, but questions about Hartman's power persisted, and he missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury. When the dust settled, Hartman's .718 OPS at Augusta didn't really move the needle much, nor did it give many clues of what was to come.
2026 has been a completely different story for Hartman. After adding some strength during the offseason, Hartman has taken the Braves' minor leagues by storm, he has already forced his way onto multiple top 100 prospect lists, and it is extremely likely that his rise will continue. With his two-homer night on Saturday, it is probably fair to not consider Hartman's start to the season a fluke and that he is one of the Braves' true outfielders of the future. What is particularly fun is that that future may come pretty quickly at this rate.
He did it AGAIN! 💣
— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) June 7, 2026
Eric Hartman with a two homer night! pic.twitter.com/F7LotNeu6O
Top Braves prospect Eric Hartman is making an extremely strong case to get put on the fast track to the majors
It was honestly weird that before Saturday, Hartman hadn't homered since May 20, but that speaks more to the standard he has set for himself this season than anything he was doing wrong. However, he did make up for lost time as not only did he hit two homers, but both of them were absolute tanks.
Just like that, Hartman is the proud owner of a .311/.380/.597 line with 15 homers in 234 plate appearances at high-A Rome. In terms of tools, we haven't seen a Braves hitting prospect with Hartman's upside since Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. were making their way through the minor leagues. The next question is exactly how aggressive the Braves could (and should) be when it comes to promoting Hartman.
That question isn't an easy one to answer. In terms of performance and projection, Hartman checks all the boxes, and one wouldn't fault Atlanta if they decided to challenge him with a promotion to Double-A. However, it is also true that Hartman did not face a high level of competition in high school and that prep bats can hit a wall in a hurry if they are promoted before they are actually ready. It is a fine line that all teams, including the Braves, have to walk.
However, it does feel like Hartman is running out of things to prove at high-A and is currently forcing the Braves' hand. While Hartman came extremely close to not being drafted at all, he now looks like a can't-miss prospect that could become a big part of the Braves' future in the outfield. With the very real possibility that Acuña Jr.'s time with the Braves could be running out, the timing could end up being absolutely perfect if Hartman can keep this up.
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