The Braves have watched three core stars leave in free agency since raising the Commissioner’s Trophy — Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, and most recently, Max Fried.
In response, Alex Anthopoulos has taken several different approaches to find replacements. He swung big at first base, acquiring Matt Olson in a blockbuster trade. At shortstop, Anthopoulos landed on Orlando Arcia in a trade that cost the Braves virtually nothing. However, there isn’t a clear answer as to how the Braves plan to replace their ace from the last half-decade, which Bradford Doolittle of ESPN questioned — Why the heck didn’t the Braves get a Max Fried replacement?
Someone will obviously assume those innings, and Spencer Strider returning from internal brace surgery is a logical “replacement,” given he didn’t play pretty much at all last season. However, in my mind, Strider was always a part of the rotation.
Max Fried’s “replacement” is someone else entirely. Spencer Schwellenbach, who I am so high on that I believe he’ll eventually make Braves Country forget all about the California kid who made himself a star in Atlanta.
I want to preface this by saying that, of course, nobody can completely replace Max Fried; he’s forever a Braves legend, an integral piece in helping the club to its World Series title in 2021.I have to say that because some sensitive fans will take issue with me saying Schwellenbach will make you forget about Fried. I am just that high on the kid.
I said it last August, and it’ll be put to the test this season: Spencer Schwellenbach’s ascent will soften the blow of Max Fried’s departure.
At that time, Schwellenbach was coming off an outing in which he recorded nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings of two-run ball in a 3-2 series-clinching win against the rival Phillies. It brought his ERA to 2.13 in two starts against Philly, in which he punched out 15 batters and allowed only one walk in 12.2 innings.
On the season to that point, Schwellenbach had a 3.94 ERA with 94 strikeouts to only 15 walks in 82.1 innings. It wasn’t exactly a sexy stat line, but you could just tell Schwelly had it.
The rookie ended up finishing the 2024 campaign with a 3.35 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 5.52 SO/W, and 1.043 WHIP across 21 starts and 123.2 innings in Atlanta. But what makes me most excited is how he finished the season. 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.
Might I remind you that Schwellenbach is just scratching the surface. He did not pitch in Atlanta’s system the first year out of college and only threw 65 innings in 2023. Schwellenbach then only threw 45 innings in the minors last year before his promotion to the big leagues.
He ended the 2024 campaign on a high note, and he’s started 2025 in the exact same manner. In his spring debut, Spencer Schwellenbach threw 2.0 innings of no-run ball with two strikeouts. Most impressively, the stuff is seemingly better than it was at the end of last season.
Spencer Schwellenbach made his Spring Debut!
Schwellenbach took MLB by storm last season thanks to his incredible pitchability and execution.
His stuff saw an increase across the board which lines him up for a great sophomore season! pic.twitter.com/OFB5jG8UM8
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) February 25, 2025
Most of the time, pitchers are a couple of ticks slower across the board in their first few starts of Spring Training. Schwellenbach, on the other hand, is picking up right where he left off last October, when he was pitching like one of the best pitchers in the game.
In the second half of last season, Spencer Schwellenbach had a BB% of 4.2, which was better than Tarik Skubal. A K% of 27.5, which was better than Jack Flaherty. A FIP of 3.20, which was better than Gerrit Cole, and a WHIP of .97, which was better than Paul Skenes.
Nobody should be surprised when Schwellenbach challenges Chris Sale and Spencer Strider for the best arm in Atlanta’s rotation this season.
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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