Did you see Spencer Schwellenbach and his phenomenal glove work? If you caught the Atlanta Braves play the Yankees, you saw it—top of the fourth, a sharp comebacker, and Schwellenbach reacts immediately.
In one smooth motion, he snags the ball, fires it to second, and boom—double play. Just like that, the kid showed the world that he’s not just here to pitch—he’s here to field, too.
A Gold Glove Prediction That Makes Sense
That’s exactly why The Athletic’s David O’Brien hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) and made what might be the safest prediction of the season: Schwellenbach is on his way to a Gold Glove.
“Not going out far on a limb to predict this season he’ll win the first of many Gold Gloves,” O’Brien wrote.
Let’s break this down. Last season, Schwellenbach finished with five defensive runs saved (DRS), per FanGraphs.
That’s not just impressive—it’s one better than Chris Sale, who just won the National League Gold Glove for pitchers. The kicker is that Schwellenbach did it in just 21 starts.
Every other pitcher who reached at least five DRS last season needed at least 26 starts to get there. That’s efficiency, that’s skill, and that’s a guy who makes every inning count.
Flawless Fielding and Elite Efficiency
And if you’re looking for consistency, how about this—zero errors. That’s right, Schwellenbach posted a perfect fielding percentage. Not a single mistake.
He also turned two double plays, which tied him for the fourth most among all pitchers. When you put all of that together, it starts to sound a whole lot like a Gold Glove résumé.
If Schwellenbach wins the award, he’ll be in good company. The Braves have a deep history of elite defensive pitchers, and he’d be the sixth to take home the hardware.
Carrying on the Braves Gold Glove Legacy
The legendary Greg Maddux leads the way with ten Gold Gloves during his time in Atlanta—ten straight, in fact. The only year he didn’t win? That award went to his own teammate, Mike Hampton.
The Braves have also seen Phil Niekro rack up five Gold Gloves, Max Fried claim three in a row, and, of course, Chris Sale grabbing one just last season.
So what we’re seeing from Schwellenbach isn’t just a good glove—it’s tradition. It’s a continuation of the Braves’ long-standing reputation for having pitchers who don’t just dominate on the mound but also play elite defense.
And if his performance so far is any indication, we’re looking at the beginning of something special.
