Regarding the Braves rotation battle, most have conceded that Ian Anderson will start the season on the Opening Day roster as the fifth starter. Mostly because he’s out of options and can’t be sent to Gwinnett, but AJ Smith-Shawver is giving the Braves something to think about with his performance on Saturday.
The 22-year-old struck out eight batters over just four innings. He did give up six hits and a couple of runs, but the stuff was popping off the screen. Smith-Shawver was sitting 98-100 with his fastball, up more than a few ticks from previous years when his average fastball velocity was around 95-96. Beyond that, his cutter was in the low-90s, and his other secondary offerings were incredibly effective all afternoon.
AJ Smith-Shawver's 8th K pic.twitter.com/kjHHq78ZCS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 15, 2025
This is a young man that appears to be turning the corner, which is a development that could take Atlanta’s rotation to en entirely different level.
Chris Sale is the reining Cy Young award winner. Reynaldo Lopez hopes to be even better in his second season as a full-time starter after being a reliever for a half-decade. Spencer Schwellenbach looks like an ace in the making, and Spencer Strider is ahead of schedule in his return, set to make his first appearance of Spring Training today. If AJ Smith-Shawver can look like this, there won’t be a better rotation in baseball.
Prospect fatigue is a real thing. Smith-Shawver has been the among the Braves top prospects for three years now, even though he made his MLB in 2023. Development, especially for young pitchers, is never linear. Most guys his age are still figuring it out in AA. Smith-Shawver is far ahead of schedule and has the kind of stuff that could make him a frontline starter in the future. This could be the year we see him take a leap, much like Spencer Schwellenbach did for the Braves a year ago.
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Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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