After losing three straight, Wednesday’s game against the Reds became a must-win if the Braves wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive, and as he’s done so many times before this season, Spencer Schwellenbach was Atlanta’s stopper.
The rookie allowed five hits and one run in 6.0 innings, walking two and striking out five, throwing 94 pitches in the process. The outing marked his tenth consecutive start allowing three earned runs or less.
In what has become an annual tradition for the Braves, a rookie has emerged as a future star, and this year it’s Spencer Schwellenbach. His latest outing lowered his ERA to 3.61, but his 3.33 FIP suggests he’s been even better. The Nebraska product has an uncanny ability to throw strikes, evident in his 1.103 WHIP and 5.36 SO/W.
Across this streak of 10 starts without allowing more than three runs, Schwellenbach owns a 2.75 ERA over 59.0 innings to go along with 69 strikeouts. What should excite fans more than anything is that the trend will only continue.
This is a pitcher who has virtually no experience and is pitching at an elite level. He did not pitch in Atlanta’s system the first year and only threw 65 innings in 2023. Schwellenbach then only threw 45 innings in the minors this season before his promotion to the big leagues. Now, he’s crossed the 150-inning threshold and is primed to be a staple of Atlanta’s rotation for years to come.
Another factor in Schwellenbach’s development that should excite Braves Country is the abundance of knowledge surrounding him, including the soon-to-be Cy Young winner, Chris Sale, who has a beautiful relationship with the youngster.
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Even though they might not be in Atlanta in 2025, Max Fried and Charlie Morton have also surely been invaluable resources to Schwellenbach as he develops his game, but Sale will be here in 2025 and probably even longer if he remains healthy.
Even though he’s basically the same age as Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider is another brain to pick. He’s a savant when it comes to pitching, and the Braves rookie will surely lean on him as much as Sale in the future.
The rotation was once a major concern with Max Fried’s free agency and Charlie Morton’s retirement looming, but Spencer Schwellenbach’s emergence has eased those worries.
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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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