'Wow, we¡¯re here': Smith-Shawver shines in first MLB start
No. 4 prospect becomes youngest pitcher to make first start with Atlanta since 2011
Mark Bowman
@mlbbowmanATLANTA --? Jason Shawver and his wife, Laurie, had to eat the non-refundable plane tickets purchased just before their son made a quicker-than-expected rise from High-A Rome to Double-A Mississippi.
A month later, they confidently booked more flights, knowing their travel plans couldn¡¯t be affected by another promotion. Their son, AJ Smith-Shawver, has reached the Majors earlier than expected, and it looks like he might stick around for a while.?
¡°We all knew he was going to get here, man, but not this fast,¡± Shawver said after seeing his son make his first career start in the Braves¡¯ 3-2 win over the Nationals on Friday night at Truist Park.
Just two years have passed since Smith-Shawver graduated from Colleyville (Texas) High School and just three years have elapsed since he started pitching on a regular basis. His Minor League career has consisted of just 28 starts and 110 innings. But the 20-year-old hurler showed nothing but poise while allowing just two unearned runs over 5 1/3 innings.??
His effort, combined with a two-run eighth, helped the Braves claim a sixth straight win.
¡°I don¡¯t think the feeling I had out there was normal comparatively to anywhere I pitched in the Minors,¡± said Smith-Shawver, the Braves¡¯ No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. ¡°I think I started settling in during the second inning.¡±??
A couple soft singles and an errant throw from catcher Sean Murphy led to a first inning run. The Nationals¡¯ only other run came after Orlando Arcia booted Lane Thomas¡¯ leadoff grounder in the sixth. Thomas scored when Joey Meneses knocked a double off reliever Collin McHugh.
That accounted for the only damage incurred by Smith-Shawver, who came out of the bullpen to make his MLB debut with 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Sunday¡¯s road win over the D-backs.
¡°He¡¯s going to have to be more refined, be more consistent in the zone and hit with his secondary pitches better, as many other young guys do,¡± Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ¡°He¡¯s learning on the job here.¡±
Smith-Shawver pitched in front of a sold-out crowd of 40,297 and exited to a standing ovation. The environment was a little different than the one that surrounded him on April 16, when he pitched in front of 1,605 fans during his season debut for High-A Rome.
¡°I just tried to look at it like, 'It's just a cool night and I get to do this every day,'¡± Smith-Shawver said. ¡°I tried to soak it all in, look around and say, ¡®Wow, we¡¯re here.'¡±??
Three starts for Rome were followed by two starts at the Double-A level and two more at the Triple-A level. He struck out 35.2 percent of the batters he faced during this six-week span and now finds himself in a big league rotation just three years after COVID-19 actually influenced his decision to begin pitching again.?
¡°It¡¯s hard to believe,¡± Murphy said.
This was a celebratory night for a family who truly knows how fast this occurred. Just two years ago, Laurie Shawver was watching her son graduate from high school and pondering whether he¡¯d play professional baseball or try to play quarterback at Texas Tech.??
¡°I¡¯m so proud of him, I¡¯m going to cry,¡± Laurie said approximately 30 minutes before Friday¡¯s first pitch.
Jason Shawver has been in AJ¡¯s life since he was an infant. The Braves' pitcher added his stepfather¡¯s surname to Smith during his high school years. Having seen him throw a football 85 yards, Jason knew his son had a special arm. But when it looked like football might be the future and a growth plate created some right shoulder discomfort during the first couple high school years, a decision was made to stop pitching.?
But once a number of football camps were canceled because of COVID in 2020, Smith-Shawver decided to spend time with his friends on a travel baseball team. He was one of the best third base prospects in Texas. But he became a coveted pitching prospect when he stepped on a mound in Oklahoma and was immediately clocked at 93 mph.
¡°He was like, 'As soon as I pitch, they won¡¯t let me hit,'¡± Jason Smith-Shawver said. ¡°But then he understood he could pitch and play a lot of golf.¡±?
Three years later, the Shawvers are proud parents of a Major Leaguer, who now has a much wider range of golf options.??
¡°It¡¯s awesome seeing their faces light up,¡± Smith-Shawver said. ¡°It seems like they're almost enjoying it as much or even more than I am.¡±