Braves' AJ Smith-Shawver: Mixed bag in spring start

Smith-Shawver gave up three runs on four hits and a walk over two innings during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out three.

He was facing most of Philly's Opening Day lineup, and while the strikeouts were encouraging, Smith-Shawver got taken deep by J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm in the first inning. The 21-year-old right-hander is competing for a rotation spot in camp after a meteoric rise through the Atlanta system in 2023 -- he began last season at High-A Rome but made his big-league debut in early June. He has enticing upside thanks to a high-90s fastball complemented by a slider and curve that can both flash plus. Given the organization's pitching depth though, Smith-Shawver would likely need to dominate this spring to avoid beginning the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.