Saturday’s slate in the Braves system came with a little bit of everything: Daniel Brooks stayed untouchable in Rome, Eric Hartman pushed past 50 stolen bases, Luis Guanipa kept running too, and the affiliates mixed in a handful of home runs along the way.
In Triple-A, Gwinnett knocked off Louisville 13-7 behind a huge night from Brett Wisely and a pile of offense up and down the lineup. Wisely was absurdly productive, going 2-for-2 with two home runs, three walks, five runs scored, four RBI and a stolen base.
David McCabe also did damage, finishing 4-for-6 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI, while Lizandro Espinoza went 4-for-5 with a run, an RBI and a steal. Espinoza’s speed keeps jumping off the page - he now has 31 steals in just 46 games this season.
Cedric De Grandpre started for the Stripers and worked five innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, though only one was earned. He walked three and struck out five, picking up his first Triple-A win. Danny Young followed with a scoreless inning, Blake Burkhalter punched out four over two shutout frames, and Tyler Uberstine gave up three runs in the ninth.
Gwinnett also got a homer from Jose Azocar, while Rowdy Tellez, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Cal Conley each had two-hit games. Conley added a double, and Jim Jarvis drew two walks despite going hitless in four at-bats.
Columbus took care of Chattanooga 7-3, and the bullpen was the story there. The Clingstones used a bullpen game, and Luis Vargas turned in the loudest line of the bunch: three innings, one hit, no walks, seven strikeouts, and 13 whiffs in just 46 pitches.
Shay Schanaman opened with three scoreless innings of his own, and Duncan Davitt finished it off with two shutout innings and three strikeouts to earn the save. Hayden Harris was the only reliever who ran into trouble, giving up all three Lookouts runs in his inning.
At the plate, Alex Lodise kept rolling with a 4-for-5 night that included a double, two runs and an RBI. John Gil added a 2-for-5 performance, Owen Carey reached base three times with two walks, and Adam Zebrowski chipped in a triple. Eric Hartman didn’t have much going offensively, but he did swipe two bags, pushing him to 51 stolen bases on the season.
Rome’s 12-2 win over Greenville was the Daniel Brooks show, and the right-hander keeps looking more and more like he’s too much for this level. In his second High-A start, Brooks threw four scoreless innings, giving up two hits and no walks while striking out five.
Over 36 innings between Rome and Augusta, he’s allowed just three runs, two earned. He left after 59 pitches, 44 of them strikes.
The Emperors offense had a big night of its own. Rome finished with four homers, went a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts, and had seven players collect at least one hit.
Carter Beck launched his first homer with Rome, finishing 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and three RBI. Dixon Williams also went deep, adding a steal to a 1-for-4 night that included two runs and two RBI.
Williams now has 21 homers and 29 steals on the year.
Luis Guanipa kept the pressure on the bases, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two steals to reach 41 on the season. Conor Essenburg didn’t record a hit, but he drew two walks and stole three bases, giving him 10 on the year. Will Verdung and Colin Burgess also homered, and Cade Doughty added a multi-hit night with a double.
Augusta fell 6-5 to Myrtle Beach, but the GreenJackets got a couple of encouraging swings from the middle of the order. Manuel Campos homered and drove in two runs, while Juan Mateo did the same.
Mateo’s shot was his sixth homer of the year and his fourth in August. Caleb Klein added a two-hit game, and Nick Montgomery and Dominic Kibler each doubled, with Montgomery also taking a walk.
Luis Arestigueta was sharp again on the mound for Augusta, following his recent run of two starts without allowing a run over 11 innings. He gave up one run over five innings, but it was unearned, and he allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out six.
That means he still hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last 16 innings across three starts. Nico Wagner surrendered four runs, three earned, over three innings, and Kade Woods allowed one run in his inning of work.
In Other News...
Braves Rotation Just Got A Much Darker Spencer Schwellenbach Question
Spencer Schwellenbachs season-long elbow saga has taken another turn, and this one points toward a more serious reset than the Braves had wanted. After dealing with a fracture in June 2025, he is now expected to undergo surgery on his right elbow, with the operation set to insert a screw to help stabilize the joint.
For Atlanta, the bigger concern is not just the procedure itself but what comes after it. The club had hoped to avoid this step, and neither the surgery date nor a recovery timetable has been announced, leaving his long-term outlook murky. There is now real uncertainty about whether Schwellenbach will be able to get back on the mound in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Prospect Is Forcing His Way Into The Center Field Picture
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For Atlanta, the interesting part is where that profile fits. Clohisys range has helped him cover ground in the outfield, and he is projected to spend most of his time in center field, a spot where speed and instincts can matter as much as raw power. He is not just a burner anymore, either, which is why his case keeps getting stronger as he moves closer to the majors and forces the organization to think more seriously about the center field picture. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Top Prospect Just Entered A Class Fans Will Notice Fast
Eric Hartman keeps stacking up milestones at a pace that has Braves fans paying attention. The 2024 draftee has moved quickly through the system, and his rise has only accelerated with his current status as MLBs No. 42 prospect. In Double-A with Columbus, he added another layer to an already loud season by combining impact power with game-changing speed, the kind of profile that stands out in any organization.
The latest checkpoint came in a late-inning Columbus win over Chattanooga, when Hartman kept running long after the game had started to tilt in his teams favor. He reached a level of production that has not been seen from a minor leaguer in decades, and the comparison point is the kind that will register immediately in Atlanta. For a player who has advanced this fast, the next question is how soon the Braves will have to decide what all of it means at the big-league level. [Read more 🡒]