Braves' Drue Hackenberg: Fans 16 in Double-A outing
Rotowire
Hackenberg struck out 16 batters over seven innings for Double-A Mississippi on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits without walking a batter.
The 22-year-old right-hander dominated an overmatched Pensacola lineup, and the 16 strikeouts were the highest single-game total in the minor leagues this season. Hackenberg began 2024 with High-A Rome and earned a promotion in late June with a 3.64 ERA and 62:28 K:BB through 12 starts. A second-round pick in 2023 out of Virginia Tech who got an over-slot bonus of $2 million, Hackenberg is still working on developing a third pitch, but when everything is in sync the way it was Sunday, he pounds the zone with a mid-90s sinker and solid slider.
