Braves Today

Why the Future is Now for the Braves’ Newest ‘Hero’ 

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach threw seven scoreless innings to help stop the team's six-game losing streak.

CJ Errickson

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

On Saturday, the Atlanta Braves snapped their six-game losing streak with many thanks due to Braves rookie, Spencer Schwellenbach, who pitched lights out in a 4-0 victory against the New York Mets.

Manager Brian Snitker stated that Schwellenbach was the day's hero, with 11 strikeouts on just 89 pitches in seven innings. He prevented Atlanta from going a week without a victory and instead gave the team the opportunity to split the series with its division rival on Sunday.

"Schwellenbach was today's hero. That was really impressive. His whole body of work has been so good. Today, just keeping with his delivery, free and easy. It's pretty impressive what he does," Snitker said.

A Nebraska native, Schwellenbach has envisioned his arrival in the major leagues his entire life, just like any other minor leaguer. However, at just 24 years of age, he has arrived and has made the most of his opportunities, as stated in a recent interview with MLB Network. 

Schwellenbach's poise should stick with the hearts and minds of his teammates and fans alike. Teammate Travis D’Arnaud said that his ability to adapt and ‘improvise’ in the game is something he has never seen in a young pitcher. Schwellenbach expanded on where his poise comes from.

“I failed a lot in high school and college. I used to be a hitter and struck out 40-50 times in a 45-game season," Schwellenbach said on MLB Network. "As a hitter, you learn things, and if you don’t adapt in that at-bat, you’re going to have a hard time. The same thing goes for on the mound, just trying to adapt to certain hitters. If someone gets a hit, new guy, new count — just having that mindset has helped me a lot.”

Self-admittedly, he stated that catchers D’Arnaud and Sean Murphy help him maximize his pitch selection and usage. But Schwellenbach uses six different pitches in the big leagues, which is rare for a hurler his age. Most recently, he added the sinker to his arsenal. That pitch has kept opposing batters on their toes.

Atlanta's young rookie potentially just saved their season — who would have thought that a rookie would show up in one of the darkest hours of the 2024 season? Regardless, the team has much to look forward to in one of the NL’s most exceptional new players.

Published
CJ Errickson

CJ ERRICKSON