The Braves have another pitcher on cusp of stardom

The Braves have another budding star on their hands, and 2025 is when the entire MLB world will wake up to Spencer Schwellenbach.

Yesterday, against a Yankees lineup that featured reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, Schwellenbach flexed his muscles. He had a no-hitter until Austin Wells singled in the fourth inning, but the rest of the evening was a hot knife through butter.

Schwellenbach’s outing ended after 6.0 innings, finishing with 10 strikeouts to only one walk on 78 pitches. He allowed just two hits and showed off his legitimate six-pitch mix.

There are so many different things to love about Schwellenbach. His fastball velocity is still increasing, but what really makes his stuff special is the variety, fully confident in going to any one of his six pitches in any situation. But beyond the talent, Schwellenbach’s poise is that of a grizzled veteran, even though he lacks virtually any experience compared to other 24-year-olds in his shoes.

Schwellenbach did not pitch in Atlanta’s system the first year out of Nebraska after undergoing Tommy John surgery, which limited him to just 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.

Those are elite numbers for a rookie, and they only improved as the season waned. In Schwellenbach’s final 12 starts, he posted a 2.47 ERA, including a 7.0 inning, one-run gem against the Mets in his final appearance.

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. 

Soon enough, the rest of the world will understand why.

—

David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire