Braves All-Star Makes Bold Claim About Spencer Schwellenbach After Dominant Win

Schwellenbach was untouchable right from the start, setting the tone with a three-up, three-down first inning. The-24-year-old righty needed only 14 pitches to get through that opening frame which included his first of 10 strikeouts on the night.

Those 10 punchouts matched the second-best total of his career. To round out the rest of his sensational stat line, Schwellenbach surrendered no runs on just two hits without a walk over a career-high eight innings.

Simply put, Schwellenbach was nothing short of masterful. 

Following the game, All-Star first baseman Matt Olson, who belted his first home run of the season in the 10-0 victory, said of his young teammate, "We all know that he’s one of the top arms in the game."

That is certainly a bold claim from Olson regarding a pitcher that has made only 23 MLB starts to date, but it is not an unsubstantiated one. 

As a rookie in 2024, Schwellenbach leaped over two fellow Braves' pitching prospects -- AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep -- to become a surprising breakout star. 

Schwellenbach finished his rookie campaign with a 3.35 ERA over 21 starts, posting an outstanding 1.04 WHIP and 127-to-23 K/BB ratio across 123.2 innings. He only got better as the season moved forward, turning in a 2.47 ERA in his final dozen starts.

Expectations were obviously sky high for this year. Through two starts, schwellenbach has exceeded them. He has yet to be scored upon in his first 14.0 innings while giving up just three hits and one walk alongside 14 punchouts. 

Olson added that "it was just smooth sailing" for Schwellenbach on Friday night. With composure and command beyond his years, that's already Schwellenbach's M.O. on the mound.