How A.J. Smith-Shawver Broke Camp as the Braves’ Fifth Starter

The Atlanta Braves entered spring training with a three-man battle for the final two spots in their starting rotation. When the Braves struck a deal with the Los Angeles Angels to send Ian Anderson in exchange for José Suarez, it signaled that both Grant Holmes and A.J. Smith-Shawver had won those spots.

Smith-Shawver’s first start of the season came against a familiar foe in the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Last season, he was called upon to pitch in the National League Wild Card series out of necessity. It was a start to forget as Smith-Shawver only lasted 1.1 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs.

On Sunday, his start looked significantly better. Smith-Shawver pitched four innings, allowing six hits and three walks, striking out four, and limited the Padres to only two runs. It was a positive outing for the young pitcher giving Atlanta every chance to win, but the Braves’ offense remained silent.

Now with a true opportunity to prove himself at the Major League level, A.J. Smith-Shawver will aim to show why he is Just Baseball’s No. 3 ranked prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Who is A.J. Smith-Shawver?

The quintessential two-sport athlete, Smith-Shawver had scholarships to play both football and baseball at Texas Tech University. In fact, he won a Texas state championship alongside Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019. Primarily a third baseman for much of his life, he only began taking pitching seriously in 2020. The Braves took notice and drafted Smith-Shawver in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft, signing him over-slot for $1 million to convince him to forgo his college commitment.

Upon being drafted, he made four starts in the Complex League to a 8.64 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and a 17.3 K/9 as an 18 year-old. He then spent the entire 2022 season in Single-A, improving upon those numbers across 17 starts with a 5.11 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.

The 2023 season was where Smith-Shawver truly began to emerge. In just his third year as a full-time pitcher, he shot up the minor league ranks making stops in Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and eventually leading to his Major League debut at only 20 years-old despite having less than 150 professional innings under his belt.

2023	GS	ERA	WHIP	K/BB
Single-A	3	0.00	0.71	5.75
Double-A	2	0.00	1.14	3.00
Triple-A	10	4.17	1.27	1.81
MLB	5	4.26	1.11	1.82

In 2024, many expected Smith-Shawver to make a significant impact for Atlanta after getting his feet wet the previous season. However, things didn’t materialize as expected.

In his lone start during the regular season vs the Chicago Cubs, he showed promise throwing 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four without giving up a run. The next day, Smith-Shawver was placed on the IL with a strained oblique and struggled upon returning to the minor leagues to get another shot with Atlanta until he was called upon in the Wild Card Series due to injuries

A.J. Smith-Shawver Wins the Job

Heading into 2025 spring training, the Braves had two rotation spots to fill following the departures of Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free-agency. With Spencer Strider set to miss the first month of the season as well, Smith-Shawver had a legitimate opportunity to break camp in the rotation as he competed against Holmes and Anderson.

Across five spring training appearances, Smith-Shawver threw 16 innings, pitching to a 3.94 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a strong 20:5 K:BB ratio. Most notably, he did not allow a single home run, something he had trouble with in previous years.

Limiting hard contact was the most important aspect Smith-Shawver needed to address. After giving up 27 hits, 12 being extra-bases, across his previous 9 MLB outings, it was a positive sign to see him limit opponents to just three extra-base hits across 16 innings, despite giving up 19 total hits this Spring.

While he didn’t exactly dominate, part of the reason he secured the job was Anderson’s struggles with command. Still, at just 22 years old and in only his fifth full year focusing on pitching, Smith-Shawver has made notable strides in his approach and feel for the position.

Armed with a nasty splitter and a fastball that reaches 99 mph, Smith-Shawver now has a chance to establish himself as a legitimate major-league starter. The next challenge being to prove he deserves to stay in the rotation even after Strider makes his return.

What’s Next?

As mentioned, Spencer Strider is expected to return from internal brace surgery sometime in May, leaving one full-time rotation spot up for grabs between Smith-Shawver and Holmes. The beginning portion of the season will serve as an extended audition for both pitchers.

However, as is typical with the Braves, rotation depth will be crucial over the course of the long season. The team will likely manage the workloads of both Strider and Chris Sale, ensuring they remain fresh for the postseason. Inevitably, fatigue and injuries will occur, meaning starting pitching depth will be crucial for Atlanta.

That means there will be additional opportunities for Smith-Shawver to prove he belongs at the big-league level. After a solid effort in his season debut, he will look to build on that momentum in his next start, which is projected to come against the Miami Marlins on April 5.