Braves’ AJ Smith-Shawver continues to prosper in Gwinnett

Prior to the season, everyone was concerned about who would be the Braves’ fifth starter.

With Reynaldo Lopez on board, that hasn’t been a major issue. The long-time bullpen pitcher for the Chicago White Sox won the job right out of camp and has gotten so far ahead of himself after only one month of the season that I doubt he’ll ever look back.

However, deeper problems arose when Spencer Strider was sidelined for the season with a ruptured UCL. The Braves now need more than simply Reynaldo Lopez; they also need one of their younger pitchers to step up. Any franchise that loses its ace after only two starts will be in a pickle, but the Braves have miraculously avoided missing a beat, thanks to multiple young guns who are flourishing, providing Alex Anthopoulos and Brian Snitker with a wealth of options.

It started with Darius Vines last week, who had a couple of good performances against two elite offenses, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. Bryce Elder then followed up on Monday with 6.2 scoreless innings against the Marlins. Both of those guys may pitch every five days, and the Braves should be optimistic about their chances, but the best arm of them all is still patiently waiting for his turn.

AJ Smith-Shawver was the Braves’ organizational surprise in 2023. He began the year at High-A and made his MLB debut just a few months later. Most sites rank the now-21-year-old as the Braves’ top prospect, and despite a rough start to his 2024 season, it may not be long until he returns to Atlanta.

In his first two starts (three innings), Smith-Shawver allowed six earned runs on six hits and four walks. However, he recovered well last week, pitching 4.2 innings of one-run ball, and he looked even better Friday night. Smith-Shawver struck out seven in five innings, with a fastball that reached the high 90s. Despite giving up three runs on two homers, it was his longest appearance of the season as he continues to increase his workload.

As of now, the Braves have no reason to rush Smith-Shawver. Bryce Elder is more than capable of becoming the team’s fifth starter, possibly for the entire season. However, this organization has demonstrated that if you do well, you will be given an opportunity. AJ Smith-Shawver appears to be close to pushing the Braves’ hand.