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Spencer Schwellenbach to make MLB debut as Braves look for another win against Washington

The Atlanta Braves take on the Washington Nationals this evening in the third game of a series where they have split so far. In the first game it was a rocky start from Charlie Morton, followed by a yet again masterclass from impending free agent Max Fried.

In this matchup we get to see the Braves’ number three prospect Spencer Schwellenbach. At twenty-three years old and only pitching two games at the Double A level, he will make his MLB debut. Although we should take these numbers with a grain of salt since it is such a small sample size, his results have been fantastic.

Over his twenty-four games (all starts) he has averaged 8.67 strikeouts per nine innings while only walking 2.12 per nine innings. He has carried a 0.95 WHIP and a 2.21 ERA. In just this season, he has been even better. In 45.0 innings he has an ERA of 1.80, WHIP of 0.91, 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings to 2.0 walks, and hitters having a .191 batting average against.

One thing to keep an eye on is that he is only averaging 4.58 innings per start, meaning we will most likely see the bullpen come in early. These short starts are most likely due to him coming back from Tommy John Surgery prior to his 2023 debut in the Braves organization.

Spencer Schwellenbach has four pitches. He sports a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. It will be interesting to see how he utilizes this arsenal in his debut.

Fun fact about Spencer Schwellenbach is that when playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2021 as shortstop and the team’s closer, he won the John Olerud Award for best two-way player in college.

Former third overall selection MacKenzie Gore will be taking the mound for the Nationals. Gore has yet to live up to his draft ranking with arguably disappointing seasons the past two years. However, this season has easily been his best. In 53.1 innings this season he has a 3.04 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings with hitters hitting .255/.320/.382 with a .341 BABIP. One thing that can give the Braves hope is that he has been a bit lucky with an expected ERA (xERA) being higher at 3.63 and his WHIP being 1.294.

Most of the projected lineup for the Braves have faced Gore before in limited fashion. None have seen him more than six at-bats. Marcell Ozuna has had Gore’s number so far hitting .333 with a HR and 1.166 OPS in six at-bats. Austin Riley has a .333 average with a .786 OPS in six at-bats, and Ozzie Albies has a .286 average and 1.000 OPS. Other than these three, the results so far have been bad against Gore for this lineup. d’Arnaud, who may not be starting, has a .533 OPS, and Olson, Arcia, Duvall, Murphy, and Harris all have a .000 average against him.

Again, these numbers are a small sample size, but one would hope that the trend of a bunch of zeros would end against Gore this evening.

The Phillies have lost three straight and are facing a hot Giants team today. This game is a perfect opportunity for the Braves to gain a game in the standings if they can pull off a win with their rookie SP having a strong debut against a Nationals team that is has scored fewer runs than all but three teams in MLB.

First pitch is at 7:20 ET at Truist Park.