Fastball

Atlanta Braves Rookie Takes Mound Monday with Great History in Hand

Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach is on the mound for the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of a crucial doubleheader on Monday.

Brady Farkas

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) throws a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) throws a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

After 160 games, the regular season all comes down to this.

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves will play a critical doubleheader on Monday in Atlanta to determine the final pairings for the National League playoffs. The games were moved as a result of last week's hurricane, which decimated parts of the Southern United States.

The scenarios are pretty simple: If the Braves and Mets each win one game, both teams are going to the playoffs. If either team gets swept, then the Arizona Diamondbacks are headed to the playoffs instead of the team that gets swept.

In Game 1, the Braves are sending rookie Spencer Schwellenbach to the mound. By doing that, they are hoping to avoid using Cy Young favorite Chris Sale. If they win, they'd be able to use Sale in Game 1 of the wild card round. If they lose, Sale would pitch in the must-win Game 2.

In throwing Schwellenbach, the Braves are sending out a rookie with some great baseball history under his belt.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

120+ strikeouts & fewer than 25 walks in 1st 20 career app, since 1901:

2024 Spencer Schwellenbach: 122 K, 23 BB
2014 Masahiro Tanaka: 141, 21
2010-12 Stephen Strasburg: 135, 24

In those 20 games this year, he's gone 8-7 with a 3.47 ERA. The 24-year-old was a former second-round pick of the Braves out of Nebraska. He made his debut on May 29 of this season.

On the other side, the Mets will counter with Tylor Megill. He's gone 4-5 this season with a 3.98 ERA. The Mets are using him in hopes of avoiding Luis Severino, who would likely start Game 1 of the wild card series should they win the first game of the doubleheader.

Game 1 begins at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/History