Who will be the Spencer Schwellenbach of the 2025 Braves?

The Braves have had one of the worst farm systems in baseball for some time by industry rankings standards, but somehow, the club continues to pump out elite talent.

The core of the team, outside of those acquired through trade, was brought up through the farm system — Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, and Austin Riley. A couple of years ago, it was Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II who burst onto the scene, earning second and first-place honors in the Rookie of the Year voting, respectively.

This past season was no different. The rookie who emerged as a superstar was Spencer Schwellenbach, who finished the 2024 campaign with a 3.35 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 5.52 SO/W, and 1.043 WHIP across 21 starts and 123.2 innings in Atlanta.

What’s even more impressive is how he finished the season. In his final 12 starts, he posted a 2.47 ERA, including a 7.0 inning, one-run gem against the Mets in his final appearance.

This is a pitcher who had virtually no experience and is pitching at an elite level. He did not pitch in Atlanta’s system the first year and only threw 65 innings in 2023. Schwellenbach then only threw 45 innings in the minors this season before his promotion to the big leagues.

So, who will be the Spencer Schwellenbach of the 2025 Braves?

Everyone thought the star youngster who would establish himself in Atlanta’s rotation was going to be Hurston Waldrep or A.J. Smith-Shawver, so it’s fair to point to the pair as potential stars in 2025. Both need to refine their crafts, though.

Maybe it’s a position player like Nacho Alvarez, who does have a path to the major league roster with Orlando Arcia being nothing more than a stopgap option at this point. Drake Baldwin has been even better in Triple-A than Alvarez, but the logjam at catcher may result in him being used as a trade chip rather than an impact player.

Owen Murphy and JR Ritchie should also be considered, although they are probably a couple of years away, as both have undergone Tommy John surgery early in their minor-league careers. Drue Hackenberg is another young arm to keep an eye on, who had a terrific 2024 and is a bit older of a prospect. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see him make his MLB debut and potentially stay in the mix next season.

Though the Braves haven’t had a highly-ranked farm system in quite some time, they still produce major league talent at a rate that few clubs can match. Who will be the next star to emerge from the farm?

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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

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