Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a familiar tale in baseball: a young, athletically gifted, hard-throwing, yet undersized college pitcher named Spencer is selected by the Braves after the first round of the draft. Despite primarily serving as a reliever in college, Atlanta transitions him into a starting role. With just over 20 starts in the minors, Spencer finds himself in the major league rotation for the Braves and is being considered for high-pressure innings, possibly even starting in playoff games.
While this story may not be the oldest in baseball, it has now occurred twice in the span of three seasons. However, this is where the similarities between Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach diverge.
Strider embodies the profile of a traditional power closer who could handle 180 innings a year if needed. Armed with a hard fastball and a wicked slider, he keeps hitters guessing and unable to cover both pitches effectively. On the other hand, Schwellenbach showcases mid-to-upper 90s fastball velocity with one of the most diverse repertoires in baseball.
Schwellenbach throws an impressive six pitches – a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider, splitter, and curveball – using each of them strategically throughout games. Only one in ten pitchers who have thrown 70 or more innings this year utilize six pitches at least 5% of the time, placing Schwellenbach in a unique category.
Of Schwellenbach’s pitches, three have arm-side movement while the other two have glove-side movement, with his cutter remaining neutral. He possesses the ability to throw any pitch, at any time, and in any location. This arsenal of pitches keeps hitters off balance and unsure of what to anticipate at the plate.
Despite his varied repertoire, Schwellenbach manages to maintain command and effectively use all of his pitches. While adding new pitches to his arsenal presented challenges, he dedicated himself to mastering them to enhance his pitching performance.
Schwellenbach’s unique background as a former shortstop influences his pitching style, characterized by a loose, whippy arm action typical of infielders. This arm angle, combined with his impressive fastball velocity and adept command, sets him apart as a promising young pitcher for the Braves.
As Schwellenbach continues to refine his pitching skills and adapt to the demands of the major leagues, his ability to keep hitters guessing with a wide array of pitches will undoubtedly make him a valuable asset for the Braves in the years to come.
