MLB.com names AJ Smith-Shawver as a leading 2024 Rookie of the Year candidate

Atlanta Braves top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver, a right-handed pitcher, has been named as Atlanta's leading Rookie of the Year candidate for 2024 and a player to watch for next season. 

The crew of MLB Pipeline, writing over at MLB.com, singled out Smith-Shawver for both the quality of stuff and the opportunity he'll have next season in Atlanta to slide into the rotation:

After going from High-A to the big leagues in one season, it’s still not exactly clear what Smith-Shawver is, but we know his stuff will play. The fastball flirts with triple-digits and his bat-missing slider reaches the upper-80s, while he started folding back in a slower curve and the changeup can be effective. The signing of Reynaldo López makes the rotation competition a bit more stiff, but Smith-Shawver’s stuff and feel should get him plenty of big league innings.

Smith-Shawver, who turned 21 just this week, pitched at four different levels last season. Across 15 minor-league starts, totaling 62 innings, he went 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 79 strikeouts (11.5 K/9). 

In six major league appearances in the regular season, including five starts, Smith-Shawver went 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA, striking out 20 batters in 25.1 innings. 

Originally described as a "Spencer Strider starter kit" owing to his usage of mostly just a fastball and slider, Smith-Shawver added a curveball to the mix this season and spent focus on improving his changeup, as well. 

There's still things to work on with the arsenal - MLB hitters batted .364 against the curveball in a small sample size and Smith-Shawver struggled to consistently land the slider for strikes.