If you’re an Atlanta Braves fan, you already know the deal—Spencer Schwellenbach arrived in 2024 and quietly became one of the most important arms in the rotation.
But if you’re just tuning in, let me catch you up: Schwellenbach wasn’t just good; he was essential. And yet, the national media barely made a peep about him compared to some of the other young stars around the league.
That’s already changing in 2025. As spring training unfolds, Schwellenbach is putting the baseball world on notice. Even the biggest national voices—like ESPN’s Jeff Passan—are starting to pay attention.
Passan recently included him in an article highlighting 10 breakout players this spring. If you’ve been following what Schwellenbach has been doing on the mound, it’s not hard to see why.
A Rookie Season That Deserved More Hype
Let’s rewind to last season for a second. Despite having very little professional experience—the guy didn’t even have that many innings under his belt in the minors—Schwellenbach stormed into the Braves’ rotation and immediately became the fourth-best pitcher on the team.
And that’s saying something when talking about Atlanta’s rotation. The guys ahead of him were Max Fried, Reynaldo López, and the reigning NL Cy Young winner, Chris Sale.
His 2.6 fWAR? That ranks as the sixth-best rookie season by a Braves pitcher since the team moved to Atlanta in 1996. In other words, he was already making history before most people even knew his name.
Spring Training Is Showing He’s Just Getting Started
The early signs from spring training suggest he’s just getting started. Schwellenbach has tossed five scoreless innings through two outings, racking up five strikeouts with zero walks.
The only Braves pitcher who might be having a better spring so far is Chris Sale. And even that’s up for debate. Scouts are taking notice, and the buzz is getting louder.
According to Passan, Schwellenbach’s command of his six-pitch mix and his composure on the mound have talent evaluators thinking he’s got even more in the tank than what we saw last year.
Considering how stacked the NL East is shaping up to be, the Braves will absolutely need a big season from him if they want to keep up with the competition.
The Braves Could Have an Ace in the Making
Schwellenbach isn’t just coasting on last year’s success. In February, he talked about how he spent the offseason. He spent it reviewing his performance, finding areas to improve, and getting ready to take that next step.
You want to hear that from a young pitcher who already showed elite potential. If he can build off what he did in 2024, opposing hitters are in for a rough time. The Braves might just have a serious ace in the making.
Is it too much to expect an even better season from a guy who could’ve cleared 3.0 WAR as a rookie if he had been called up earlier? Maybe.
But if what we see in spring training is any indication, we could be watching the rise of something special in Atlanta.
