Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson and starting pitcher Chris Sale are finalists for the Gold Glove Award in their positions. However, rookie pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach’s absence from the list is notable.
Braves color analyst C.J. Nitkowski highlighted Schwellenbach’s impressive defensive skills during his debut season on X (formerly Twitter).
In 123 innings across 21 starts, he led all MLB pitchers with seven defensive runs saved (DRS), despite pitching 64 fewer innings than second-place Jake Irvin.
Schwellenbach also maintained a perfect fielding percentage and ranked seventh among pitchers in assists.
Nitkowski believes Schwellenbach will gain recognition in the future, stating, “He’s not a Gold Glove finalist this year but a GG is coming.
He’s special in many ways.” Alongside his defensive prowess, Schwellenbach had a strong pitching season with a 3.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
The Braves have a rich history with the Gold Glove, having won it 19 times in 67 years, a rate surpassing the Yankees’ World Series titles.
Greg Maddux is the franchise leader with ten awards, followed by Phil Niekro and Max Fried. If Schwellenbach continues his performance, he could be the next recipient soon.
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