Hackman posted a 1.31 ERA in five appearances for Augusta after being drafted.
Despite being a senior sign — which typically carries low expectations along with it — Owen Hackman put together one of the better pro debuts for those taken by the Braves in 2024. With his performance, Hackman positioned himself as a potentially fast riser through the system and as a prospect to watch.
How He Was Acquired
The Atlanta Braves took Hackman out of Loyola Marymount University with the 281st overall pick in the 2024 draft. He signed for a significant underslot bonus of just $2,500.
Draft Report Card
A reliever for the first two years of his college career, Hackman transitioned to a starter for the 2023 season and stayed in the rotation in 2024. Hackman was one of a handful of senior signs for the Braves, in this year’s draft.
Across four seasons with the Lions, the righty went 15-11 while posting a 4.33 ERA across 203.2 innings pitched. He also struck out 188 batters while walking 71. Hackman also put up a solid performance in the Cape Cod League back in 2022.
Hackman wasn’t a highly-touted prospect coming into the draft, but the Braves like what they saw from the righty who possesses a mid-90’s fastball with multiple decent offspeed offerings.
What We Saw in 2024
Hackman actually had one of the better pro debuts among Braves 2024 draftees. Making his first appearance with Augusta on Aug. 9, Hackman came out of the bullpen and tossed 1.2 innings, striking out three while allowing three runs — all unearned.
Hackman’s first start for the GreenJackets came on Aug. 16, and while it didn’t go great, he was solid as he allowed two runs across four innings, striking out a pair. He then flipped a switch, tossing 15 innings of one-run ball for the GreenJackets — making two more starts in the process.
All told in his short stint, Hackman posted a 1.31 ERA in three starts, striking out 24 across 20.2 innings pitched. Hackman also showed solid control, only walking seven batters in that timeframe.
Owen showed flashes of his three-pitch mix, which is capped off with an above average breaking ball with a low-90s fastball. While his overall numbers and performance in Low-A was very impressive, it should be noted that the then-22-year-old was slightly older than a large portion of his competition.
Regardless, Hackman showed enough in those few outings to make him an intriguing guy to watch moving forward.
2025 Outlook
Given his age — as he turned 23 last November — and performance last season, Hackman should be given the bump up to High-A Rome to begin the 2025 campaign. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Braves send him back to Augusta to start the year, but give him a very quick promotion once he shows he can carry over his performance from last year.