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.
Tuesday Roster Move
RHP Spencer Schwellenbach has been transferred to Mississippi from High-A @GoEmperors.
Schwellenbach is the @Braves No. 3 prospect, according to @MLBPipeline. Atlanta selected him in the 2nd round in 2021 out of @HuskerBaseball. pic.twitter.com/r6wZIxtR44
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) May 14, 2024
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.
BREAKING: Our doubleheader today just got a little more spicy!
Atlanta's No. 2 and No. 3 prospects, Hurston Waldrep (Game 1) and Spencer Schwellenbach (Game 2), will start during tonight's doubleheader!
Game one begins at 5:05 pm vs. Biloxi.
https://t.co/JXebq35FUt pic.twitter.com/8GlvLvrqDW
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) May 15, 2024
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