Spencer Schwellenbach had an incredible rookie season with the Atlanta Braves. He quickly became a favorite amongst Braves fans as he pitched with incredible tenacity in 2024.
Schwelly looked like a seasoned veteran out on the mound at times. Nothing seemed to fluster him and handled himself well in stressful situations. His debut season couldn't have gone much better as he tossed 123.2 innings for Atlanta with a 3.35 ERA, a 3.29 FIP, and 127 strikeouts.
Arguably most impressive of his traits in 2024 was the fact that he didn't walk a lot of batters. You would expect a pitching prospect who hasn't had a lot of professional experience to struggle against big league hitters. Instead, Spencer issued only 23 walks which was good enough for a ridiculous 1.7 BB/9 rate. This means he only walked batters 4.6% of the time last season.
Braves rookie phenom Spencer Schwellenbach shares his hilarious motivation for not walking batters
The former Nebraska standout recently spoke on MLB Network Radio about why he takes pride in a low walk rate. His reasoning is equally wholesome and hilarious.
"I can hear his voice every time I walk someone, like 'Come on, Spencer.'"
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 4, 2024
With only 23 free passes in 123 IP last season, Spencer Schwellenbach has a little extra motivation.@Braves | #BravesCountry
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/hvaJR53Mzo
He was asked about his only intentional walk during the season was to Red Sox star Rafael Devers. This occurred during Schwellenbach's second and probably worst MLB start in Boston. Devers took him deep and Atlanta decided to not allow an opportunity for a second homer.
Spencer followed his response saying as a kid, he put a lot of emphasis on throwing strikes. He added that his dad absolutely hated it when he walked batters and that he could hear his voice every time he walked someone.
Schwellenbach stated, "I can hear his voice every time I walk someone, like 'Come on, Spencer.'" You can definitely tell that he does by the way he approaches batters. It's a bulldog mentality and he doesn't fear anyone between the lines.
It will be interesting to see how Spencer performs over a full MLB season and hopefully avoids the dreaded sophomore slump. For now, he's solidified himself as a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm. All eyes will be on the talented youngster in 2025.