Tate Southisene is starting to make the kind of noise the Braves were hoping for when they took him in the first round last year.
The 19-year-old infield prospect, ranked No. 3 in Atlanta’s 2026 MLB Pipeline prospect list, delivered one of his best High-A performances yet on Wednesday for the Rome Emperors. Southisene went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in Rome’s 13-8 loss to the Frederick Keys, the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The biggest swing came in the fourth inning, when he launched a three-run homer to dead-center field.
It was the second three-hit game Southisene has put together in his last six High-A games, another sign that the bat is beginning to settle in after a rocky transition. Atlanta promoted him from Single-A in early June, and the early results at the higher level came with some growing pains. July, though, has looked more encouraging, especially with Southisene hitting near the top of the Emperors’ lineup.
Across 85 games between two minor league levels this season, Southisene is batting .276 with a .409 on-base percentage and an .884 OPS. He’s also piled up 12 home runs, 44 RBIs and 45 stolen bases. Much of that damage came before the jump to High-A, where he hit .297 with eight homers, 30 RBIs and 36 steals in 51 Single-A games.
Since arriving in Rome, Southisene has hit .246 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and eight stolen bases in his first 34 High-A games. But his July line tells a more upbeat story: a .286 average, going 16-for-56, over 15 games. For a player still getting his first extended taste of High-A pitching, that’s a meaningful step.
Southisene isn’t the only Braves prospect turning heads in Rome. Left-hander Cam Caminiti, Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, has posted a 1.93 ERA in two starts this month. And while Eric Hartman has struggled in July, the Braves’ top outfield prospect has still put together a huge season, with 22 homers and 32 stolen bases in 85 High-A games.
With Atlanta sitting in first place in the National League East at 59-42, the trade deadline will be worth watching closely for any ripple effects on the farm system. For now, though, Braves fans have plenty to track in High-A as the organization’s top young talent keeps developing in Rome.
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