Braves fans will almost certainly see AJ Smith-Shawver back in the majors this season. The Atlanta Braves sent the 22-year-old right-hander down to Triple-A Gwinnett last Sunday, just a day after his latest start.
Due to off days in the schedule and the eventual return of Spencer Strider, the Braves currently don’t need Smith-Shawver in the rotation. That’s the official explanation behind the move — giving him regular starts in Gwinnett to stay on a consistent schedule.
However, many fans and media members aren’t buying it. Instead, they believe Bryce Elder should have been the one demoted. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman joined in on the criticism during Elder’s Friday night start, tweeting:
“Did I mention how much I was looking forward to seeing Smith-Shawver build on last weekend’s outing? Choosing Elder over Smith-Shawver made no sense.”
Despite the Braves winning that game thanks to a five-run rally in the eighth inning, Elder gave up four runs in five innings — including yet another home run.
Elder’s ERA remains a troubling 7.20 through his first three starts of 2025. He’s allowed five home runs in just 15 innings, giving him a 3.0 HR/9 rate — more than double the already high 1.4 HR/9 he posted last season.
While it’s possible his home run issues may level out, the question remains: should the Braves have given him the chance to work through it in the first place?
Elder may have made the 2023 All-Star team, but since then, he hasn’t looked the same. Dating back to the All-Star break that year, he’s posted a 1.5 HR/9 rate over 133.1 innings — nearly a full season’s worth of data suggesting giving up long balls has become a pattern.
Smith-Shawver’s numbers haven’t been stellar either — an 0-2 record with a 4.61 ERA and 1.976 WHIP in 13.2 innings, including eight walks in three starts. But in his most recent outing against the Rays, he pitched his way out of multiple jams and kept the team in the game, allowing them to rally for a win.
That performance had fans eager to see what he’d do next. Instead, they watched Elder continue to struggle while Smith-Shawver worked in the minors.
Smith-Shawver is eligible to return in a week — and with Elder’s continued struggles, the calls for a swap could grow even louder.
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