Rookie Schwellenbach bests college teammate, backed by Ozuna's 2 HRs

SAN DIEGO -- Spencer Schwellenbach has proved to be a quick study in the Major Leagues. The occasional college reunion only underscores that point.

Schwellenbach squared off against a former University of Nebraska teammate on Friday night for the second time in six starts. He bested Matt Waldron to lead the Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Padres at Petco Park.

Braves manager Brian Snitker allowed Schwellenbach to take the mound in the seventh inning for the first time in the 24-year-old right-hander’s rookie campaign. Atlanta’s No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, got through that inning clean to finish with a final line of one run, three hits, one walk and three strikeouts. His 94 pitches were the most he has thrown in eight big league starts.

Not bad for a guy who was strictly a shortstop when he shared the field with Waldron with the Cornhuskers in 2019, five short years ago.

“I'll tell you what, he's a dog,” Waldron said, lauding Schwellenbach’s competitiveness. “He's going to be good. I wanted to beat him. He got me this time.”

On June 12, Schwellenbach started against former Nebraska teammate Cade Povich in Baltimore. They each came away with a no-decision as the Orioles won, 4-2.

After facing his former college teammate then, Schwellenbach said he thought, “That might never happen again.” It did.

“Eight starts in, and two have been against my former teammates,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not like I went to LSU or Florida. I went to Nebraska, and that means a lot to say.”

This time around, the Braves put Schwellenbach in position for the win with a four-run fifth inning. Marcell Ozuna hit his 25th home run, a solo drive, and Orlando Arcia clobbered a two-run homer.

Ozuna added No. 26 in the ninth inning, another solo drive, for his third multihomer game of 2024 and the 21st of his career.

Schwellenbach threw each of his six types of pitches at least eight times and was still sitting around 95 mph with his four-seamer as his pitch count reached new levels. His ability to give a new look the third time through the Padres’ lineup was something a veteran starter might have.

But Schwellenbach had only two starts above High-A before the Braves called him to the Majors in late May. He became a two-way player as a junior in college, serving as the shortstop/closer. Then his pro debut was delayed by Tommy John surgery, which the Braves knew was necessary when they drafted him in the second round in 2021. His pro experience on the mound is all of 154 2/3 innings.

“He hit with all his pitches. He was really good,” Snitker said. “He’s figuring things out, learning about himself. That’s a really good lineup. They don’t strike out. So that’s a great job. …

“He doesn’t let the game speed up on him. He’s got a lot of confidence, a lot of wherewithal. There might be a bit of [Spencer] Strider in him. They’re always in control. And he does all the little things to help himself win, too.”

Case in point: Schwellenbach allowed the game’s first run when he yielded back-to-back doubles to open the bottom of the fourth inning. But he held firm and retired the next three batters to keep San Diego in check. Then, after getting the lead, he needed only six pitches in the fifth.

That was a result of an in-game adjustment.

“About the third inning, I came in and was kind of confused about them not swinging at certain pitches -- or not swinging and missing at all,” Schwellenbach said. “I pretty much said, ‘Don’t search for strikeouts. Just search for weak contact.’ That’s kind of what I did -- cutter, sinker and work my offspeed off of that.”

That kind of maturity and self-knowledge may be surprising from an inexperienced pitcher. Waldron, however, isn’t surprised, even if he didn’t see Schwellenbach pitch before Friday.

“Incredible athlete, incredible guy, hard worker,” Waldron said.

And competitive.

“He just wanted it so bad,” Waldron added. “That’s what I remember most about him.”