The Atlanta Braves have won six games in a row, but all anyone can talk about is the trade deadline debacle on Monday. Rightfully so, Alex Anthopoulos really failed this team at the deadline with his refusal to add an impact starting pitcher.
Now, all anyone can ask is which Braves pitcher would start game two of a postseason series? Between Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder, there is no shortage of options that leave us feeling uneasy. However, the arm that actually gets the chance might be 23-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver.
I asked Alex Anthopoulos about the #Braves' plan for AJ Smith-Shawver. Here's what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/3wYDify8Hq
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 4, 2026
Braves' failed deadline places a ton of pressure on AJ Smith-Shawver to perform well the rest of the way
Smith-Shawver was supposed to use this season to rehab from his elbow injury and eventually showcase whether or not he is a legit rotation option for the 2027 season. Instead, added pressure has been placed on how effective Smith-Shawver can be in 2026 thanks to Anthopoulos' failure to add an impact starter at the deadline.
AJSS made his season debut in game one of a doubleheader against the Mets on July 29, and for the most part, Smith-Shawver looked good. The Texas native was sent back down to Triple-A to continue his rehab, one that Anthopoulos recently said he expects Smith-Shawver to make two more starts.
Smith-Shawver made one of those starts on Tuesday night and looked sharp before he ran out of gas as he approached the 90-pitch mark. In the near six innings of work Smith-Shawver got on Tuesday, he struck out six batters, racking up whiffs early with his fastball, slider, and splitter. Unfortunately, as the outing went on, AJSS lost a bit of his command, walking four and uncorking a wild pitch.
The plan is to have Smith-Shawver make one more start with Gwinnett before returning to the big league club in mid-August. Because AJSS has the high velocity fastball paired with swing-and-miss secondary pitches, his upside is much higher than any of Atlanta's other internal rotation arms. If he's pitching well in September, he could easily be one of the guys Atlanta starts in the postseason.
Either way, the pressure on Smith-Shawver to pitch effectively is immense. It's certainly more than you would like for a guy with 16 career starts coming off major elbow surgery. Sadly, that is the world the Braves are living in, and if they want to make a postseason run, AJ Smith-Shawver might just be the x-factor in doing so.
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