When the Atlanta Braves called up Spencer Schwellenbach, they not only called up a guy with only 13 innings at Double-A in his career but also with a very long name. Schwellenbach's last name consists of 13 characters and his first name consists of seven.
Although Christian Encarnacion-Strand of the Cincinnati Reds easily takes the cake for the longest last name and longest full name in MLB history, Schwellenbach's name isn't too far off. But is it long enough to be either the longest last name or full name in Braves history? Let's take a look and see where he ranks.
Does Spencer Schwellenbach have the longest last name in Braves history?
No, but it is close. At 13 characters, Schwellenbach comes in tied for second for the longest last name in franchise history.
"This is his dream."@Braves No. 3 prospect Spencer Schwellenbach made his MLB debut in front of more than two dozen friends + family members: https://t.co/oBKQhS8fom pic.twitter.com/BjDEmRjuRA
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 30, 2024
Interestingly, this ties him with one active Brave, two Braves who played for the team briefly in the 2000s, and two players who played with the team in Boston.
AJ Smith-Shawver is the current Brave on the list. The 21-year-old made his MLB debut last season and pitched well in his only start this season before going on the IL.
Tim Spooneybarger and Todd Hollandsworth both played for the Braves when Bobby Cox was still at the helm, with Spooneybarger playing with the team from 2001-2002, and Hollandsworth making a cameo in 2005.
The other two Braves players with 13 character last names were Gene DeMontreville, who played with Boston from 1901-1902, and Bonnie Hollingsworth, who played in 1928.
Of course, these are players who are all tied for second. The Braves player with the longest last name also had the title of the longest last name in MLB history until Simeon Woods Richardson debuted in 2022.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia debuted with the Braves in 2007 and played 47 games with the teams before getting shipped out to the Texas Rangers as one of the prospects in the Mark Teixeira trade.
The longest full names in Braves history
At 21 characters, including the space between his first and last name, Spencer Schwellenbach's full name ties him for the longest name in franchise history.
Jarred Saltalamacchia, unsurprisingly, is tied for first with the longest full name in franchise history with his six-character first name and 14-character last name.
However, Saltalamacchia isn't the only other player Schwellenbach just tied with. Former top prospect Christian Bethancourt also has 21 characters in his full name.
Bethancourt, like Saltalamacchia, was a high-ranking catching prospect. The Panamanian spent time with the Braves across three seasons before getting traded to San Diego after the 2015 season. Bethancourt has had a crazy career, which included the Padres attempting to convert him into a pitcher. Still, after not playing in the big leagues for four seasons, he's played every season since 2022 and is currently with the Miami Marlins.
Excluding AJ Smith-Shawver, who is currently on the team, every long-named player in franchise history has had a brief stint with the Braves. Hopefully, Schwellenbach along with Smith-Shawver, are here to break that trend.