AJ Smith-Shawver #20

Placed on the 15-day injured list on May 29, 2025 with a strained right elbow... Placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left oblique on May 24, 2024... Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Colleyville Heritage High School (Texas).

2025

Finished the year going 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA (19 ER/44.1 IP) in nine starts to begin the season with Atlanta before undergoing season-ending surgery...Smith-Shawver was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 29 with a strained right elbow... Underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on June 9, performed by Dr. Keith Meister, in Arlington, Texas...Made his first Opening Day roster with Atlanta...Was the Braves’ starter in the fourth game of the season against San Diego...Went 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA in three starts to open the year before being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on April 13...Was recalled to Atlanta on April 29...Made two starts with Triple-A Gwinnett, fanning 13 hitters over 9.1 innings pitched while only allowing four walks between both outings...Carried a no-hitter through seven innings against Cincinnati on May 5, before Santiago Espinal led off the eighth inning with a single, their lone hit of the game...Completed eight scoreless innings while earning the win; the longest outing of his professional career, previous MLB high: 5.2 innings, June 15, 2023 vs. Colorado.

2024

In his fourth professional season, Smith-Shawver made one regular season start for Atlanta on May 23 in Chicago (NL)…Left the game with a strained left oblique after 4.1 scoreless innings pitched...Went 3-7 with a 4.86 ERA (47 ER/87.0 IP) and 104 strikeouts in 20 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett.

POSTSEASON: Started Game 1 in the NL Wild Card Series against San Diego…It was his first career postseason start...Smith-Shawver made the start at 21 years, 316 days old, and became the youngest pitcher in Braves franchise history to start Game 1 of a postseason series...Just one Atlanta pitcher had started any playoff game at a younger age...Steve Avery made four starts in the 1991 playoffs, including two in the World Series, between 21 years, 179 days and 21 years, 195 days old.

2023

Finished 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA (12 ER/25.1 IP) in his debut season with the Braves...At 20 years - 207 days old, became the youngest Braves pitcher to earn a win since Steve Avery (20 years - 132 days), Aug. 24, 1990 vs. Chicago (NL)...Won against Colorado on June 15...Just the sixth time in Atlanta franchise history (1966) a pitcher of Smith­ Shawver's age or younger was credited with the win...Became the youngest pitcher to make his first start for Atlanta since Julio Teheran on May 7, 2011...Only one pitcher in baseball in the 2023 season had started a game at a younger age, with Eury Perez making five such starts for the Marlins...Prior to his debut, Smith-Shawver had 33.0 professional innings pitched...Went 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA in 10 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett...Pitched to a 1.59 ERA over his last three starts with the Stripers...Pitched to a 2.76 ERA and a 4-4 record between Gwinnett, Double-A Mississippi and High-A Rome this season...Was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for April after pitching 14.0 scoreless frames between all three of his starts with High-A Rome.

2022

Made his professional debut with Single-A Augusta in 2022...Spent the entire season with the GreenJackets, going 3-4 with a 5.11 ERA in 17 starts.