Saginaw’s Spencer Schwellenbach to make Major League debut for Atlanta Braves

Former Saginaw Heritage ace Spencer Schwellenbach will make his Major League debut on Wednesday, moving up from Double-A to take the mound for the Atlanta Braves against the Washington Nationals, according to a report from MLB insider Robert Murray.

Schwellenbach, who turns 24 on Friday, was Atlanta’s second-round pick out of Nebraska in the 2021 draft, but he missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons after Tommy John surgery.

After a strong 2023 season, Schwellenbach was ranked Atlanta’s No. 5 prospect by Baseball America, No. 3 by MLB.com and No. 2 by The Athletic, based on a fastball that can reach 98 mph with a solid changeup. and break the ball.

This season, pitching in High A and Double A, the 6-foot-1 right-hander started eight games with a 1.80 ERA. In 45 innings, Schwellenbach has 51 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Since his promotion to Double A Mississippi, Schwellenbach has dominated. In two starts for the Mississippi Braves, Schwellenbach struck out 17 in 13 innings with one walk and five hits allowed. He has held opposing hitters to a .122 average and owns a 0.46 WHIP.

Due to Tommy John surgery, Atlanta was cautious with Schwellenbach. But the Braves are dealing with injuries to Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawver, Ian Anderson and Huascar Ynoa. Schwellenbach is not yet on Atlanta’s 40-man roster, but the Braves cleared his spot after placing outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the 60-day injured list.

Wednesday’s start didn’t fit in with Atlanta’s other launch options. Bryce Elder and Dylan Dodd, who made starts for Atlanta this season, were reportedly forced to take a short rest.

Schwellenbach is coming off a strong start on Wednesday, May 22, giving him a full week of rest before Wednesday’s debut.

In his final season at Nebraska, Schwellenbach was named Big Ten Player of the Year, hitting .284 with a .403 on-base percentage as the Cornhuskers’ starting shortstop. He hit 12 doubles with six home runs and 48 walks.

But Schwellenbach, who didn’t pitch his first two seasons at Nebraska, took on more tight end duties for Nebraska by becoming a two-way player. In 18 games, the 6-foot-1 right-hander struck out 34 with eight walks in 31 2/3 innings. He reached 99 mph with his fastball and finished with a 0.57 ERA.

Schwellenbach, who pitched and played shortstop at Heritage, was named Michigan’s high school baseball player of the year in 2018.

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