Atlanta, GA
Major League Scouting Report: Atlanta Braves’ Spencer Schwellenbach
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 24: Spencer Schwellenbach #56 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates during the … [+]
Atlanta Braves right-handed starter Spencer Schwellenbach kept his team in the National League Wild Card race with a huge victory September 24.
Schwellenbach, 24, improved to 8-7, with a fine 3.47 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP in 20 starts for Atlanta.
Schwellenbach has thrown 116.2 innings in 20 appearances for the Braves.
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 09: Injured Braves pitcher Spencer Strider watches the game from the dugout … [+]
Impactful Injuries:
The Braves have endured some very serious injuries this season, and they still have a chance to make the playoffs.
All Star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. required surgery for a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament on his left knee. He has missed almost the entire season.
All star right-handed starter Spencer Strider, considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, has been sidelined since mid-April with elbow surgery that required an internal brace.
And to make matters worse for Atlanta, highly regarded third baseman Austin Riley’s season is over, due to a fractured hand.
Starter Reynaldo Lopez, who was having a very solid season on the mound, has been disabled with shoulder inflammation since September 10.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 27: Spencer Schwellenbach #56 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch … [+]
About Spencer Schwellenbach:
The Cleveland Indians selected Spencer Schwellenbach in the 34th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign with Cleveland.
Schwellenbach, who attended Heritage High School in Saginaw, Michigan, chose to attend the University of Nebraska, where he spent one season.
Schwellenbach, who also played soccer in high school, was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year, as well as Mr. Baseball in his senior year
Schwellenbach played three years of shortstop in high school, and was a two-way player at Nebraska.
At Nebraska, Schwellenbach appeared in 18 games on the mound, all in relief. He earned 10 saves.
Schwellenbach earned the John Olerud Award as the best two-way college player.
Schwellenbach was chosen in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft by the Braves.
Atlanta gave Schwellenbach a $1 million signing bonus.
After the draft, Schwellenbach underwent Tommy John surgery, keeping him off the mound in both 2021, and 2022.
Schwellenbach missed a month of pitching in 2023, with shoulder inflammation.
His injury history dictates care in his use by the Braves staff.
This old scout was fortunate to see Schwellenbach in the 2023 All Star Futures Game in Seattle.
In that game, Schwellenbach threw one inning in relief; yielding one hit, while striking out two.
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 07: Spencer Schwellenbach #56 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the … [+]
Scouting Spencer Schwellenbach:
Even though he was an award winning closer in college, the Braves have always used Schwellenbach as a starting pitcher.
Before his big league debut May 24, 2024, Schwellenbach made 24 minor league starts for Atlanta. He threw 110 minor league innings before he graduated to the Braves rotation.
Schwellenbach has a strong frame at 6-1, 200 pounds. He’s an excellent athlete.
A true power pitcher, Schwellenbach relies on both two-and four-seam fastballs as the foundation of a six-pitch mix.
According to brooksbaseball.net, Schwellenbach’s four-seamer sits at 96 miles per hour, but he can increase velocity when needed.
Schwellenbach’s sinker has a bit less velocity, sitting at 95 miles per hour.
Schwellenbach also throws a curve, a slider, a cutter, and a split.
One of the best aspects of Schwellenbach’s approach is his ability and desire to use any pitch at any time in the count. And his pitch distribution is very equal. Here are the percentages of Schwellenbach’s pitch use:
Fourseam fastball-37.24%
Sinking fastball=6.09%
Split (also a form of fastball)=10.77%
Cutter=14.52%
Slider=18.50%
Curve=12.88%
While he strikes out an average of 9.4 hitters per nine innings, Schwellenbach is only walking 1.8 hitters per nine, showing fine command and control of his arsenal.
Schwellenbach has yielded only 14 home runs in his 116.2 innings, which is outstanding.
Schwellenbach is the fifth starter in a solid Braves rotation that includes:
Chris Sale-LHP
Max Fried-LHP
Charlie Morton-RHP
Grant Holmes-RHP
Spencer Schwellenback-RHP
Scouting Grade: 55
For this old scout, Spencer Scwellenbach is a Grade 55 starter, which is a better than average performer.
Perhaps due to the Braves pitching injuries, Schwellenbach graduated to the big leagues quickly. However, he has earned the trust his team has placed in him.
If the Braves do make the playoffs, we may see Spencer Schwellenbach on the roster as pitching depth for a team on a mission.
Omari James. Photos provided by Atlanta police
ATLANTA – Atlanta police are asking for the public’s help locating 11-year-old Omari James, who has been classified as critically missing.
What we know:
Investigators said Omari ran away from his home around 9:30 p.m. Thursday after getting into an argument with his parents over his cell phone.
Police said Omari was last seen wearing a black shirt, red, white and blue shorts, black Nike slides and a Nike ski hat.
What you can do:
Anyone who has seen Omari or knows where he may be is asked to call 911 or contact the Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. The investigation remains ongoing.
Atlanta, GA
Georgia Secretary of State opens investigation into voter registration mailers sent to deceased residents
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Thursday that his office has opened an investigation into Ready to Register and other third-party organizations after reports that voter registration mailers were sent to deceased Georgians and other ineligible recipients.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, election officials have received numerous complaints about voter registration solicitations being mailed to people who have died. In one unusual case cited by the office, a deceased family dog reportedly received one of the mailers.
State officials said they are reviewing whether the mailings violate Georgia law or otherwise undermine confidence in the state’s election system.
The Secretary of State’s Office said third-party voter registration groups frequently conduct mass mail campaigns ahead of major elections but often rely on commercial databases that can contain outdated or inaccurate information, unlike Georgia’s official voter registration system.
“Groups like this highlight the unreliability of commercial data,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “Georgia maintains one of the cleanest voter rolls in the nation through continuous list maintenance and citizenship verification. These outside organizations don’t use those standards. Instead, they flood mailboxes with inaccurate solicitations that confuse voters and waste election officials’ time.”
Raffensperger also thanked voters who alerted his office to the mailings.
“I want to thank the voters who have flagged the inaccurate mailings and sent them to our office,” he said. “Whether checking their ballots for accuracy or keeping their own registration information up to date, voters are a crucial line of defense in election security.”
Georgia officials said the issue mirrors problems recently identified in North Carolina, where election officials warned residents about similar mailings from Ready to Register. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, North Carolina officials said the organization mailed registration forms to deceased individuals, used outdated forms, listed incorrect election office addresses and included QR codes that raised privacy concerns.
Raffensperger criticized the mass mailing campaigns, saying they create confusion while increasing the workload for local election offices.
“Whether intentional or simply reckless, these mail campaigns operate like a grift — raising money and generating activity while shifting the costs onto taxpayers, election officials, and voters,” Raffensperger said. “Georgia taxpayers should not have to clean up the mess created by organizations that prioritize volume over accuracy.”
The Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging Georgians to verify their voter registration through the state’s My Voter Page and says voters who are already registered at their current address should disregard unsolicited voter registration mailers.
Project aims to curb dengue by releasing millions of mosquitoes
Google-backed researchers are taking an unusual approach to fighting mosquito-borne diseases: releasing more mosquitoes. The effort, known as Debug, is designed to reduce populations of mosquitoes that spread illnesses such as dengue fever by using specially bred male mosquitoes that cannot produce viable offspring.
Fox – 35 Orlando
Mosquitoes in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to Fulton County health officials.
Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health mosquito control staff say the mosquitoes were tested following trapping in Fulton County.
“Mosquitoes can be dangerous if infected and may pose a serious health risk to people in our area,” Environmental Health Director at the Fulton County Board of Health, Brandon Leftwich, said in a statement from the agency. “We want to make sure communities are aware and take necessary precautions to protect themselves.”
Grant Park is in southeast Atlanta, south of Old Fourth Ward and west of East Atlanta.
Here’s what to know.
What is West Nile Virus?
West Nile Virus is the illness caused by infections from a pathogen in the Flaviviridae family. Mosquitoes are hosts for the pathogen, meaning they can spread it to people and other animals without dying.
It is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the contiguous United States, infecting more than 2,000 people each year. About 1,300 people develop a severe illness, and more than 130 people die annually in the U.S. from the infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It spreads during mosquito season, or the period between June and October each year. Infections typically peak in late August and early September.
Many people infected may never show symptoms, and others will only experience mild, flu-like symptoms. It can take between 2 and 6 days after a mosquito bite to feel poorly, and then people may experience headaches, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Those with mild illness can recover completely, but some fatigue and weakness can last much longer, even weeks or months.
In cases of severe illness, West Nile Virus attacks their central nervous system and can result in hospitalization or death. Patients may experience a very high fever, headaches, neck pain, stupor, disorientation, muscle weakness and other serious symptoms. Recovery can take weeks or months, and some effects could become permanent.
How is West Nile Virus treated?
There is no medicine that can treat West Nile Virus, so those with mild symptoms can take over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen to manage pain, fever or headaches. Those with West Nile Virus should not take ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to the CDC. Patients should stay hydrated and take lots of rest to let your body fight the virus and recover.
Those with severe illness may need intravenous fluids, pain medication and nursing care at the hospital level, though there is still no medication that can be taken to cure the infection.
It is believed that those who have been infected by West Nile Virus develop a lifelong immunity or protection, meaning they can’t get the virus again, according to the CDC.
How to prevent mosquito bites
Fulton County health officials recommend following the “5Ds of mosquito bite prevention” to keep yourself safe from mosquito-borne illnesses.
- Dusk/Dawn: Avoid being outside during periods when mosquitoes are most active, including in the early morning and as the sun is setting.
- Dress: Loose-fitting clothes and items with long sleeves or pants will reduce the amount of exposed skin for a mosquito bite and make it difficult for a mosquito to bite through clothes.
- DEET: Insect repellant should contain DEET. It is the most effective ingredient in mosquito repellant.
- Drain: Standing water is a great place for mosquitoes to breed, so make sure to dump out water from buckets, barrels, flowerpots and tarps outside that could harbor mosquito larvae. You should also cut overgrown grass or weeds.
- Doors: While it might be nice for a breeze to pass through your house in the evenings, make sure doors and windows are closed and sealed to keep mosquitoes out of the house.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
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