Former Nebraska Pitcher Discusses First Season in Major League Baseball

Spencer Schwellenbach was ready to face some of Major League Baseball's best as soon as he was called up by the Atlanta Braves.

"That's a huge deal. You're facing guys that are some of the best of our generation," the former Nebraska baseball said on Rob Friedman's 'Pitching Ninja' show. "I grew up loving Bryce Harper. Here I am, facing him in front of 40,000 fans. It's like, 'How do you calm yourself down?"

Schwellenbach handled Harper, striking out the former NL MVP. It was not the only big hitter the former Husker took down in his rookie season, as the Braves pitcher also struck out Shohei Ohtani.

"I struck Harper out with a curveball, and I got Ohtani out with a splitter," Schwellenbach said.

Aug 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) pitches against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Schwellenbch was a breath of fresh air for the Braves in his rookie year, becoming an integral part of the starting rotation for the franchise following the loss of Spencer Strider in the opening weeks of the season. The 23-year old posted 123.2 innings with a 3.35 ERA and 127 strikeouts - including the Ohtani punch out.

"Against Ohtani, I think two or three pitches before I struck him out, I threw the exact same pitch in the exact same location, and he didn't even take his bat off the shoulder," Schwellenbach said. "I was like, 'Man, I could've sworn that was a really good pitch.' Just even get him to think about it. That's just part of pitching. You've got to throw a couple more pitches, and then that pitch will be open. That's what happened."

Spencer Schwellenbach discusses pitching to:

-Bryce Harper
-Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/O5WxNevSPG
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 9, 2025

Schwellenbach began the 2024 season with the High-A Rome Emperors and the Double-A Mississippi Braves finishing with a 1.80 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 8 starts. He was selected to the 40-man roster on May 29 and promoted to the major leagues, making his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals. On his first appearance in the major leagues, Schwellenbach yielded three earned runs on five hits in five innings in a loss.

The Michigan native arrived to Nebraska in 2019, starting 44 games - 31 at shortstop, six at third, and six at first - while leading the Huskers with an All-Big Ten Tournament team honor over five games in the tourney. Prior to the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Schwellenbach was a starter for all 15 games at shortstop for the Big Red.

In his final season with the Huskers, the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year also earned first-team All-American status from D1Baseball and ABCA/Rawlings. Schwellenbach was selected in the 2021 draft by the Braves in the second round, picked as the 59th overall pick.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning. — Jul 6, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Truist Park. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Despite the quick call-up to the major leagues, Schwellenbach was ready for the moment against some of the MLB's best.

"I tried to tell myself before the games, "It doesn't matter who's hitting; you still have to get out; they still have to get a hit off of you. So, that made it a lot easier," Schwellenbach said. "That's the kind of mindset that you got to have. There are guys that will come up to the plate that are these huge figures like Shohei Ohtani. It's like, how do you stay level and stay calm?"

During his full episode with Friedman, the two discussed Schwellenbach's aim to improve his curveball and other pitches from the right-hander.

Former Nebraska Pitcher Discusses First Season in Major League Baseball

MORE: Nebraska Football Alum Adrian Martinez Signs Futures Contract with New York Jets

MORE: Are Nebrasketball's Current Struggles For Real?

MORE: Nebraska Men's Basketball Falls to 10th in Big Ten Conference

MORE: Nebraska Women's Basketball Tops Rutgers in Piscataway

MORE: After Nebrasketball: Purdue Rolls Nebraska As Huskers Drop Second Straight