Yardbarker
x
A Braves top prospect earns promotion
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves don’t have a ton of elite prospects on the farm, but there are several arms that are closing in on being major-league ready, and one of them just earned a promotion to AA Mississippi.

Spencer Schwellenbach has flown under the radar so far this year due to the hype surrounding AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep as well as Owen Murphy‘s blistering start to the season, but he’s a consensus top-five prospect in the organization and is off to a splendid start.

Through six starts this season, Schwellenbach is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 34 batters over 32 innings.

Schwellenbach was drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft as a two-way player out of Nebraska. The Braves viewed him as a pitcher, but he didn’t see action until 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Last season, Schwellenbach made 16 starts between A and High-A ball, recording a 2.49 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

The arsenal features a heater in the mid-90s, paired with two plus breaking pitches in a slider and curveball. He also has a developing changeup, but perhaps the most attractive aspect of his game to this point has been the control. Through 97 career minor-league innings, Schwellenbach has only walked 25 batters. That’ll be key to him reaching the majors, as he gets set for a much tougher test at the AA level, beginning tonight.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.