AJ Smith-Shawver toed the mound for the first time this spring yesterday and flashed the type of stuff that still has the Braves really excited for the future, striking out three batters over two scoreless innings. His fastball was sitting around 96 MPH, which he paired with a devastating changeup, improving slider and solid curveball.
Remember, despite making his major-league debut two years ago, Smith-Shawver is still just 22-years-old and didn’t really start focusing on pitching later into his high school career. When he entered the draft, he was a highly recruited quarterback and a legitimate two-way player on the baseball field. The Braves had a clear plan for him as a pitcher after drafting him in the seventh round, and within a couple of years, he found himself in the majors.
It’s easy to get down on a prospect when seeing him in trouble at the top level, but is it even fair to say that Smith-Shawver has struggled? Over 29.2 career major-league innings, he owns a 3.64 ERA, 121 ERA+ (21% above league average), and 1.112 WHIP.
Of course, the last time Braves fans got a glimpse of AJ Smith-Shawver on the bump, he was getting shelled in Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Padres. But taking anything away from that game is foolish. It was about as unfair of a situation as any for a young pitcher that threw just 4.1 innings in the majors last season before being asked to start a playoff game. The Braves were desperate, given the injury to Chris Sale and the scheduling. The fact that they even turned to a 21-year-old with so little experience shows what they think about his ability.
Currently, AJ Smith-Shawver is amid a heated competition for the final spot in the Braves rotation. It’s one that many expect to be handed to Ian Anderson, given he’s out of options. It’s the definition of sink-or-swim for the former postseason hero, but I’m not sure Anderson is a major-league pitcher right now, and with just one option remaining, Smith-Shawver is inching towards sink-or-swim territory as well.
Eventually, Smith-Shawver is going to get to Atlanta this season, even if he’s not included on the Opening Day roster. The Braves simply do not have the necessary starting pitching depth to avoid such a scenario, and it’s about time he’s given a much longer leash than he has in the past to showcase his abilities. Seemingly every season, a young arm comes to Atlanta and has a much larger impact than anybody could have imagined.
Could this be that year for AJ Smith-Shawver?
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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