After a long week, we are entering the final day of our top 30 roll out. As always it has been an absolute pleasure for us to put together this list, even though it was one of the hardest ones we’ve done in quite some time. There has been another massive infusion of talent to the organization both in international free agency, and through the 2026 MLB draft. We aim to update the list once again at the end of the season after hopefully getting our eyes on the new draft class. All that being said,
we hope you have enjoyed our midseason top 30 and be on the look out for a couple more articles coming out this weekend that build off of the influx of talent that the Braves have had over the past two years.
6. John Gil – SS
How he got to the Braves: 2023 International Free Agent
After putting together a strong 2025 where he hit .252/.348/.366 across 107 games, where he showed a fantastic eye at the plate with a 12.4% walk rate, and just 14.5% strikeout rate, along with 54 stolen bases. He showed really strong decision in his swing decisions as he showed the ability to not just recognize spin, but also not expand his zone outside of the strike zone. He entered 2026 on nuclear watch because of how advanced his approach, at the age of 19, along with his physical maturity and loud tools.
It hasn’t gone quite as John himself was expecting, as he’s hit just .241/.346/.371. John’s BABIP falls below the average mark sitting at .288 despite the double plus speed he possesses which indicates a level of unluckiness. John has shown more power, as he’s hit a career high 11 home runs, while still leading the league in stolen bases. His walk rate as actually increased, now sitting at 13% for the season, and his swing and contact rates have remained relatively consistent to what we’ve seen in the past. He’s also cut his GB% to 39.8% (down from 46% in 2025), while increasing his LD% from 17.5% to 25%. The biggest change in his profile has been he’s been slightly more pull dominant than he was last year, but that also came with a new career high in ISO. While he may not have put up the numbers we hoped for in 2026, his profile remains unchanged.
Gil is a player that has the tools and talent to be a major outlier at his position. Gil possesses the ability to hit for good power while also getting on base at a high clip where he can showcase his double-plus speed. Gil has played a majority of the season as shortstop, but has also played a lot of second base as well. As of right now the added swing-and-miss is an outlier, so as we head into the close of 2026, he will remain one of the highest upside positional prospects the Braves have in their organization.
5. Cam Caminiti – LHP
How he got to the Braves: 2024 1st round pick (#24 overall)
After re-classifying, Cam Caminiti was eligible for the 2024 MLB draft as a 17 year old after. He was surprisingly available for the Braves to select at #24 overall and the Braves didn’t balk at the opportunity – drafting and signing him for $3.5, buying him out of his commitment to LSU. He made a single start for the Augusta GreenJackets before being shut down for the season.
In 2025, his debut was highly anticipated but delayed with his season not beginning until May. The results weren’t great, as he struggled out of the gate – allowing 11 earned runs across just 13.2 innings pitched but it didn’t take long to turn things around as the calendar hit June, and he immediately turned in his best performance with five innings of one hit ball. He would go on to finish the season appearing in 17 games across two levels, the FCL and Low-A Augusta, where he pitched to a combined 3.09 ERA with an 11.57 K/9 and 3.60 BB/9 rate. He did all this while being just a two pitch pitcher as the Braves used the season to work on his fastball command, and to introduce a sweeper. By the end of the season Cam showed the ability to command his fastball, especially at the top of the zone, and was landing his sweeper to both sides of the plate against both LHB, and RHB showing a massive step progression in year 1, and leaving us all wondering how the next season would go.
Fast forward to this year, and at the time of this article dropping, Cam had already put together 17 games and when you look at the number, a 4.11 ERA, 2.16 batting average against, 9.27 K/9, and 4.23 BB/9 you wonder how a prospect of his ability regressed in his second full season as a professional but the numbers show a fraction of how the actual season has gone. After being just a two pitch pitcher last year, Cam Caminiti has leveraged 6-7 pitches this season as the Braves along with Cam figure out the pitch mix that best suites his ability. He has utilized that strong four-seam, and sweeper, but has added a two-seam, cutter, changeup, and added his curveball back into the mix. The Braves have also worked on his mechanics, a lot, this year, out of the stretch as he’s had some issues with maintaining them as the game goes along. So when you factor in all of that, along with the fact that he is the same age as both Briggs McKenzie (2025), and a few months younger than Jensen Hirschkorn (2026) the numbers on the mound make a bit more sense.
Cam’s upside remains unchanged from his original drafting year. He’s shown flashes of true top of the rotation talent as he’s navigated a very physically demanding year. 2027 looks to be a huge year for Cam especially if he’s able to improve his conditioning a bit more where he’s not struggling with his mechanics out of the stretch as the game goes on. He’s shown enormous potential on the mound and looks every bit worth the price tag associated with him from 2024.
4. Briggs McKenzie – LHP
How he got to the Braves: 2025 4th round pick (#127 overall)
Taken in the fourth round of the 2025 thanks to the some of the cost savings from going under-slot in the first three rounds, the Braves saw enough out of Briggs McKenzie in high school to offer him $3M to buy him out of his commitment to LSU. He was one of the highest rated prep pitchers in the draft thanks to his ability to spinning his super high RPM curveball. He pairs that well with a fastball that has shown really strong arm side run, though he had not shown the ability to hold his velocity with his fastball – often sitting closer to the 91 MPH mark in high school. Still, the Braves saw more than enough from him, and his 6’2” frame, to give him the bonus and bet on their player development system to get the most out of him.
The returns to the McKenzie selection were seen extremely early in 2026 as he came out of the gates swinging. Briggs made three appearances in the FCL where he had a 0.79 ERA, but more impressively a minimal 1.59 BB/9 rate, and ridiculous 62% GB%. He was sent to the Augusta GreenJackets where he made a singular start where he was dominant – striking out eight over five innings of work while allowing just one hit. The Braves promoted him to High-A Rome where he made three appearances before finding himself on the IL after his June 25th start and has yet to make another appearance. But what we saw, was a teenager that was able to locate his fastball at the top of the zone with regularly, while also showing a +sweeper, and good changeup. His four-seam was sitting between 93-94 MPH, up from the original 91-92 that we saw from him during games in high school. His sweeper showed fantastic movement with nearly 18” of horizontal break, and 8” of vertical break, while also throwing a good changeup. While the sample has been small, 7 total games, there is a lot to get excited about Briggs who appears to be a player that can move quite quickly through the system. He and Cam Caminiti have formed a formidable high upside duo of left handed pitching found at the top of the Braves system.
3. Tate Southisene – SS
How he got to the Braves: 2025 1st round pick (#22 overall)
Atlanta got mixed reactions to picking Tate Southisene 22nd overall in 2025, but one year out they seem like geniuses to all but a very select few. Southisene has been about as good as a player can be coming straight out of high school. He was shaky in short professional debut, but hit the ground running in Augusta this spring and posted a 152 wRC+ across 51 games. Southisene then earned himself a call up to Rome in June and continued mashing, with a 121 wRC+ and four home runs in 38 games. Southisene has maintained a walk rate above 15% at both levels and is age-relative perfomance is in the elite tier of prospects, and the Braves saw enough to make a daring call in late July. Southisene got the quick bump to Double-A Columbus, where he could continue to start full time and get tested by pitchers with better command. Unfortunately this is where our hero meets his first real challenge. Southisene got just two plate appearances in Columbus before getting hit on the wrist, and he is now on the injured list for an unknown period of time. Regardless of what happens for the rest of the season this is a successful year for Southisene, but this has opened up the first chance for his development to be delayed. Southisene has overall been an elite performer in 2026. He’s the only player age 20 or under in minor league baseball who has 10+ home runs and 45+ stolen bases, and one of only three of any age in the minor leagues to reach that number. He makes contact at a high rate and doesn’t ever swing out of the strike zone, though that doesn’t necessarily mean his approach is perfect just yet.
There were concerns about Southisene’s swing coming out of high school and many questioned if it would limit his hit tool at the professional level. The Braves had him work to make his load and swing simpler, and after some early season adjustments those changes have seemed to pay dividends. He has shown the ability to be an above average hitter both for on base and for power, and there is even more power in the tank for him. At this stage Southisene still doesn’t pull the ball in the air very often, which is a common trait for young players and especially those who could rely on their speed to get on base in high school. That’s limited some of the impact he has made, yet he is still producing above league-average power numbers. Southisene’s ability to lay off of pitches out of the zone is impressive, though if there is any knock against him it might be that he is a bit too selective. He watches too many good pitches go by and could benefit from attacking fastballs more often with the intent to do damage on the pull side, but too patient is a better problem to have than a guy who cannot recognize spin or the edges of the zone. The biggest question for Southisene is whether he can actually stick at shortstop. He primarily played second base in Augusta beside Alex Lodise, but upon being promoted he has played all but four of his games in the field at shortstop. His foot speed and instincts are good enough to play the position, but his arm is fringe for shortstop and he may have to slide to second base or center field at the next level. Southisene has the bat to still make an impact even if shortstop is not his ultimate defensive home, but there is still plenty of time for him to improve in that regard. Overall the Braves seem to have a gem of an up-the-middle prospect with the ability to impact the game in multiple ways on the offensive end and a game mature enough to get him to Double-A as a teenager.
2. AJ Gracia – OF
How he got to the Braves: 2026 1st round pick (#9 overall)
The Braves added AJ Gracia to their system, leveraging the philosophy of going under-slot in the first two rounds to add more high end prep talent to the organization. But Gracia isn’t your typical “safe” college player, as he also shows massive potential. AJ’s talent was on display in 2025 when he was the most south after transfers after putting together an extremely strong .293/.449/.558 slash line at the University of Duke. The Virginia Cavaliers were able to add him to their roster in 2026 and he took off, showing improvements in nearly every facet of his game and hitting an even more robust .354/.489/.632 across 56 games.
It’s easy to see what the Braves saw in AJ Gracia, even without factoring in the cost savings. As is, he’s a very polished hitter who does not strike out a lot (12.6%), while having a great eye at the plate (20% BB%). AJ has shown the ability to not expand his zone, while also showing an advanced ability to recognize spin and lay off breaking pithes that start in-zone, but fall out of the zone. While he doesn’t possess supreme bat speed, or exit velocities, he’s able to generate lots of back spin with his swing which makes the ball jump off of his bat. Not only was he a safe pick at ninth overall, he also provides significant upside that merits the selection.
AJ projects as a middle of the order bat with a skillset and approach that should allow him to advance quickly through the minor leagues. His existing approach is advanced for a college hitter adjusting to minor league baseball so the expectations are rather significant to begin with. By as early as the end of 2027, it would not be surprising if Gracia is pushing for a spot in the upper minors with the thoughts of a potential 2028 MLB push.
1. Eric Hartman – OF
How he got to the Braves: 2024 20th round pick (#611 overall)
Outside of the Hartman family, even the rosiest of expectations didn’t foresee this sort of rise from Eric Hartman. Hartman was certainly a player to watch coming into 2026 due to a great debut, but he has blown everyone in baseball away with his performance in High-A — a performance made especially shocking due to how little Hartman was known prior to this. Hartman was a 20th round pick, and while his professional debut in 2025 was successful, injuries kept him from reaching his full potential and swing-and-miss issues were problematic for him at times. He was a prospect with helium coming into 2026, but exploded onto the scene in a hurry and has been the best player in the Braves system this season. Hartman has always been a player who had a high pulled fly ball rate and enough power to make him worth fearing, but he added strength this offseason and improved himself from an average power hitter to a plus one seemingly overnight. Hartman has 22 home runs in 90 games with Rome this season, and he’s not just a one-tool power hitter. Hartman has shown the speed to play center field and has stolen 36 bases on the season, becoming the first 20-20 hitter in the system since Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2017. Hartman has already passed Acuna’s home run numbers for that season and is on pace to beat the stolen base numbers by a fair margin as well, though with the increased run environment across minor league baseball and the rule changes to make stealing bases easier that’s not a one-to-one comparison that is fair to make. Still it goes to show just how rare what Hartman has done this season truly is, and he has made himself a consensus top 100 prospect after just a few months.
Hartman has had a brilliant season and it has bumped his grades across the board. He is making more contact in the zone, and when he does make contact the ball jumps off of his bat. He has a knack for finding the barrel to all parts of the field and in all parts of the strike zone, and if you come at him in the strike zone he is going to open up and look to do damage on the pull side. His mindset is primed for the modern baseball game, and when you consider the Braves home park he could also benefit from a short porch in right field. His hit tool isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however, as he is aggressive out of the strike zone and especially tends to go after breaking balls below the zone. This is a problem that has been around for him dating back to last season, though he has improved and for someone who swings as often as he does in the strike zone his chase rates are relatively low. He has to get a better eye for spin and learn to spit on those pitches at his shins, but it’s important to realize how green Hartman still is. Hartman was incredibly raw coming out of the Canadian prep ranks and was expected to take years to develop if he ever did at all. The improvements he has made in such a short time show an immense aptitude for the game of baseball, and there is every reason to believe he will continue to improve both his skill and his understanding of the game. He has improved significantly as a defender, from a fringe center fielder to one who is solidly average, and he’s a high-IQ baserunner who beyond stealing bases can take an extra base with ease on base hits. Hartman’s approach needs a bit of work, but his attack mentality to lift pitches on his pull side is what makes him great and the Braves won’t want him falling too complacent. Hartman is one of the best stories in recent memory, with the biggest breakout I’ve seen from any hitter in this system, and the arrow is still pointing up for him moving into the latter half of the year.
