The Braves’ pitching prospects have faced challenges over the past year, marked by injuries and ineffectiveness. However, in early 2024, the organization seems to be turning things around with the emergence of promising pitchers like Owen Murphy, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Drue Hackenberg.
Owen Murphy, the 2022 first-round pick, has been a standout performer in the 2024 season, showcasing a strong strikeout rate and impressive overall performance. While his arsenal may lack power, Murphy’s ability to sequence pitches effectively has allowed him to excel on the mound.
Spencer Schwellenbach, a two-way player from Nebraska, underwent Tommy John surgery after being drafted by the Braves in 2022. However, he has bounced back in the 2024 season, putting up impressive numbers in both High-A and Double-A levels. Schwellenbach’s diverse pitch mix, including a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup, has been key to his success on the field.
Drue Hackenberg, a relatively unnoticed player from a highly touted college pitching class, has also made strides in the Braves’ system. With a sinker-curveball combination as his primary weapons, Hackenberg has demonstrated the ability to generate ground balls at a high rate and has shown promising potential as a starting pitcher.
While prospect evaluation is subjective and can vary among experts, the performance of these rising pitchers like Murphy, Schwellenbach, and Hackenberg highlights the importance of analytics and scouting in identifying future big-league talent. Additionally, discussions around draft prospects like Ryan Waldschmidt and observations on hitting tendencies, such as high exit velocity hitters’ propensity for ground balls, add to the complexity of player evaluation and development in baseball.
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