Spencer Schwellenbach garners national buzz amid Braves spring training

There isn’t a player in North Port that I’m higher on than Spencer Schwellenbach, and it seems the rest of the league is taking notice of the young Braves starter.

Jeff Passan of ESPN talked to three dozen general managers, scouts, analysts and evaluators about players creating the most buzz in Spring Training, and Atlanta’s former second-round pick was one of them.

“The Braves’ farm system is terminally underappreciated, and Schwellenbach is the latest example. A shortstop who served as closer in his final season at Nebraska, Schwellenbach was taken in the second round by Atlanta and converted to a full-time pitcher,” Passan wrote. “The Braves appreciated his athleticism and feel for pitching, and he rewarded that deft piece of scouting last year by leapfrogging from six starts at High-A and two at Double-A to the big leagues, where he posted a 3.35 ERA over 21 starts.”

There are so many different facets of Schwellenbach’s game that are exciting. But as Passan notes, his overall inexperience since being drafted has many wondering just how high his ceiling could be. Schwellenbach did not pitch in Atlanta’s system the first year out of Nebraska and only threw 65 innings in 2023. He then only threw 45 innings in the minors last year before his promotion to the big leagues.

In those 21 starts for the Braves, the rookie finished with a 3.35 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 5.52 SO/W, and 1.043 WHIP, but it was how he finished the 2024 campaign that turned heads. In his final 12 starts, he posted a 2.47 ERA, including a 7.0 inning, one-run gem against the Mets in his final appearance.

The two other factors that inspire a ton of confidence are his stuff and poise, as Passan added.

“With a six-pitch mix — four- and two-seam fastballs, slider, cutter, curveball, splitter — the 24-year-old Schwellenbach keeps hitters off-balance and commands the ball with the presence of someone beyond his age. As good as last year was, there’s more in the tank — and in a loaded top of the NL East, Atlanta will need it.”

I cannot hype Spencer Schwellenbach up enough, which is why I had to get Braves fans’ attention by writing an article titled: Spencer Schwellenbach will make Braves fans forget about Max Fried.

I believe he’s going to be that good.

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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire