AJ Smith-Shawver

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

AJ Smith-Shawver is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on November 20, 2002, in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in Colleyville, Texas. At Colleyville Heritage High School, he played baseball and football, serving as the starting quarterback. In his senior year he threw for 2,616 yards and 25 touchdowns on football and batted .344 with 20 RBIs in baseball. He planned to play both college baseball and football at Texas Tech, but chose to pursue pro baseball instead.

Draft and minor leagues
- The Atlanta Braves drafted Smith-Shawver in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft. He signed with the Braves for an over-slot bonus of $997,500.
- He started his pro career in the Florida Complex League (FCL) and spent 2022 with the Augusta GreenJackets (Single-A), focusing on developing a slider.
- In 2023, he began with the Rome Braves (High-A), moved up to the Mississippi Braves (Double-A) in May, and made his Triple-A debut with the Gwinnett Stripers on May 19.
- The Braves promoted him to the MLB team on May 30, 2023.

Atlanta Braves (MLB)
- MLB debut: June 4, 2023, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, in relief.
- First MLB start: June 9, 2023, vs. the Washington Nationals.
- First win: June 15, 2023, vs. the Colorado Rockies. He became the youngest Braves pitcher to win a game since 1990 (Steve Avery).
- June 26, 2023: optioned back to Gwinnett to make room on the roster.
- 2024 season: Attended spring training but did not make the MLB club and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
- 2025 season highlights and injury: On May 5, 2025, he pitched eight shutout innings—the longest start of his pro career—before being removed with an elbow issue. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 29, later moved to the 60-day IL with a torn UCL. He underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9, ending his season.

Career MLB statistics (through 2025)
- Win–loss record: 4–2
- Earned run average (ERA): 3.77
- Strikeouts: 66
- Team: Atlanta Braves (2023–present), wearing number 32

Personal life
- He was raised by his mother, Laurie, and his stepfather, Jason. He added Shawver to his surname during high school.
- He has dated Josie Canseco, daughter of former MLB star Jose Canseco.

AJ Smith-Shawver is considered a top Braves pitching prospect, with a fast rise to the majors and a comeback planned after his Tommy John surgery.