Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach sure looks like a future All-Star

“I think he could be an absolute, bona fide ace in this league,” Sale then told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It just seems like he’s figuring out how to use his stuff and compete with what he’s got. It’s impressive because some guys, it takes five years to figure that … out. It took him five starts to figure it out. He’s smart. He’s very aware. He’s freakishly athletic, too, which helps a lot.”

Schwellenbach showed every bit of that promise Saturday. He never had been clocked at 99 mph; he topped at 100.2. Even if one questions the radar gun’s sincerity, his stuff was playing up. His command was sharp, which was nothing new: He hasn’t issued a walk across his past two outings (22:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 innings). He hasn’t had more than two walks in a start this year.

“I pride myself on throwing strikes,” Schwellenbach said. “I’ve talked about when I was a kid, if I threw too many balls, my dad would be pretty mad at me. So I’ve always understood when I’m on the mound, my job is to throw strikes.”

Manager Brian Snitker: “You look up there and see the strike-to-ball percentage, it’s crazy.”

Despite some rockier early season showings, largely attributed to opponents trying to take advantage of his strike-throwing propensity, Schwellenbach has a 3.13 ERA in 12 starts. He has 71 strikeouts against 12 walks. Opponents are hitting .229 against him.

Schwellenbach, who turned 25 on Saturday, had only 110 minor-league innings. He hasn’t yet reached 200 innings in the majors. There’s more to unearth here.

It’s worth noting Schwellenbach played shortstop and was a closer at Nebraska. He underwent Tommy John surgery after the Braves drafted him in 2021, cutting into valuable development opportunities. This is not the conventional path for any young player; it’s certainly a less-traveled road to immediate impact.

Yet Schwellenbach has appeared so advanced since his debut in May 2024. His approach and beyond-his-years consistency are why the Braves felt OK summoning him from Double-A before he ever pitched at a higher level.

“He’s only going to understand the game more and learn more,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “He wants to learn. The maturity, the athleticism. He stays levelheaded at all times, and that goes a long way as well. I definitely see (him being a front-line starter).

“A lot of it has to do with how he was a shortstop, understanding his body and the way it moves. I think there’s something to that. The move is very athletic. It’s not robotic. He throws hard, and being able to have that feel, too. He’s developed a couple more pitches out of nowhere. He’s throwing them really well. The athleticism there is really, really impressive.”

Schwellenbach’s midseason emergence in 2024 made Max Fried’s and Charlie Morton’s departures this past offseason easier to accept. Schwellenbach changed the team’s future. He was a prospect outside the top 100 who instantly provided stability and a cost-efficient rotation option moving forward. And as time went on, it was apparent he could be even more.

All-Star consideration? There’s a long way to go, but Schwellenbach is beginning to assemble a case to be part of the National League team on July 15 at Truist Park.