Despite some folks out there saying they "always" knew that Atlanta Braves prospect Eric Hartman could be special, he is truly a guy who came out of nowhere. Selected in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Hartman WAS a slightly overslot signing, but we are still talking about a kid from the Canadian high school ranks that only cost $340K. Most thought that he was a speed-over-power hitting prospect whose hit tool was debatable. Oh, how wrong we all were about him.
Hartman made his pro debut in 2025 and was fine. He showed the speed we all knew he had, but the rest of the offensive kit was mediocre, and he also battled a hamstring injury that slowed him down a bit. In 2026, the story is different, and Hartman now looks like one of the better young hitters in the low minors, period. After his latest tank down at high-A for Rome, Hartman now owns a .315/.394/.658 line through 37 games this season with 13 homers and 16 stolen bases.
For your viewing pleasure:
— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) May 20, 2026
An Eric Hartman moonshot. 🌖 #RuleTheLand 🐧 pic.twitter.com/v8vFRquxDK
It seems like every time the kid shows some signs of slowing down, he has a monster game and puts himself back in the spotlight again. We already knew that the national media was taking notice, but MLB Pipeline recently named Hartman the Braves' most surprising prospect this season so far, and it is hard to argue with them at this point.
Eric Hartman continues to get attention, and his stock is now soaring after MLB Pipeline recognition
The MLB Pipeline crew doesn't throw hype around lightly, so everyone should take notice when they are jumping aboard the Hartman hype train as well. Pipeline talked about Hartman's path as a professional so far and highlighted his numbers this year. However, the money quote came at the beginning of their Hartman blurb when they said, "When a young, under-the-radar player puts up really good numbers over the first month of his second full pro season, you make a note. When he keeps it going into May, you pay even closer attention."
We are learning what Hartman is capable of in real-time at this point. His first look at pro ball made it clear that he has at least plus speed and is going to be a terror on the bases. However, the power is new, and Hartman's hit tool has been much better than expected this season. At this point, the next box that Hartman has to check is to do all of this against more advanced pitching. If he does that, the Braves will find themselves with one of the best hitting prospects in baseball.
The thing is, we may not have to wait that long to see if Hartman can do just that. At his age, the Braves probably won't rush him through the minors too fast, but a midseason promotion to Double-A could absolutely happen at this rate. Once that happens, Hartman will control his own destiny, and we will truly see if he is going to ascend to elite prospect status.
Add us as a preferred source on Google