Atlanta Braves Suddenly Demote 24-Year-Old Pitching Prospect

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 04: The All-Star Game logo is covered up on the right sleeve of manager Brian Snitker #43 of the Atlanta Braves during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 4, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Atlanta was scheduled to be the host city of this year's All-Star Game, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that due to Georgia's new voting laws, the league would be moving the game elsewhere. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Tuesday, September 1, marked a roster frenzy across Major League Baseball as rosters officially expanded to 28 players for the final stretch of the season.

The Atlanta Braves were no exception, as they recalled DH Kyle Farmer and promoted Blake Burkhlater to make his MLB debut.

However, roster news was not limited to just the MLB level, as tons of under-the-radar transactions happened with minor league players as well. One notable one in the Braves organization regarded prospect Drue Hackenberg.

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Prospect Drue Hackenberg Assigned to Double-A Columbus

According to his transactions tracker, Drue Hackenberg has been demoted to AA:

“RHP Drue Hackenberg assigned to Columbus Clingstones from Gwinnett Stripers.”

Hackenberg, 24, is a top-30 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization.

In 2026, over 52 IP in AAA, Hackenberg posted an ERA of 6.06 with 54 strikeouts.

He has also spent some time with the FCL Braves and Double-A Columbus. His overall ERA is 5.00 over 72 IP this season.

The Braves drafted Hackenberg in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Virginia Tech.

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More on Drue Hackenberg’s Prospect Status

It’s unclear whether Drue Hackenberg’s demotion is performance-related or just part of a larger roster crunch, because there were several other demotions/promotions across the Braves minor-league transaction board.

Speaking more about Drue Hackenberg as a player, here is a piece of his MiLB.com prospect bio:

“In addition to his strikeout rate diving compared to 2024, Hackenberg’s command and control suffered. His walk rate soared to 6.6 per nine as he struggled to land most of his repertoire consistently in the zone, and when he did, he got hit. He’s hitting the reset button in his age-24 season; it’s a big year that could result in a 40-man roster spot or exposure to the Rule 5 Draft in the offseason.”

His overall minors stats are as such:

13-16 pitching record, 4.51 ERA, 63 starts, 281.1 IP, 302 strikeouts, 1.49 WHIP.

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