The Atlanta Braves have been as desperate as any team for serviceable starting pitching this season. Excluding Chris Sale, the Braves' starters have struggled to produce consistent results and pitch deep into games. That is why so much hope surrounded former top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver's season debut on Wednesday afternoon in Queens.
Smith-Shawver was establishing himself as a quality big league pitcher in 2025 before an unfortunate elbow injury cut his development short. Fast forward to July 29, 2026, Smith-Shawver made his much anticipated debut, and the results were fairly mixed. AJSS was limited to 69 pitches on Wednesday, but the outing offered a glimpse into his immense upside, while simultaneously outlining the Braves' need for more rotation help.
AJ Smith-Shawver in his return to the Braves: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 69 pitches (43 strikes), allowed a baserunner in each inning and the leadoff man to reach in 4 of 5, average fastball 97.2 (max 99.6), two whiffs on 29 swings
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) July 29, 2026
AJ Smith-Shawver's 2026 debut is solid and despite his shakiness, the Braves' rotation could use some upside
Smith-Shawver's stuff looked as electric as ever on Wednesday. He averaged 97.2 mph with his fastball, a pitch he threw 58% of the time against New York. His main secondary offering was his splitter, a pitch he got some called strikes on as Mets' hitters were looking for something else.
Overall, you would have liked to see a few more whiffs (AJSS generated only 2 swings and misses), but at least his stuff was mostly around the zone. Smith-Shawver only threw a few breaking balls on the day, and as he gets more time, one would figure the command of his offspeed pitches will slowly get better.
For Atlanta, AJSS clearly showed enough to garner more starts in the future. Sending one of Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez, or Martin Perez to the bullpen shouldn't be controversial at this point. On the flip side, a young high-upside pitcher like Smith-Shawver could be a name other teams seek in trades at the deadline.
If a team desires a high-upside close to big league ready arm, Smith-Shawver, Fuentes, and Owen Murphy could each be the centerpiece in a deal to land a more established big league starter; which is exactly what the Braves' rotation needs. In an ideal world, Atlanta would keep their young pitchers and land the rotation boost they desperately need, but trade deadline deals do not usually operate in our ideal world.
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