Greg Maddux. Tom Glavine. John Smoltz. Tim Hudson. These are just some of the names of all-time great pitchers that have donned an Atlanta Braves jersey since Kent Mercker threw the last no-hitter for the team all the way back on April 8, 1994. It’s mind-boggling given the franchise’s synonymy with great starting pitching in recent decades, but only the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cleveland Guardians have longer droughts since their last no-no.
Right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver gave it his best effort Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds, taking a no-hit bid into the eighth before Santiago Espinal led off with a sharp single up the middle. The Texan still finished eight shutout innings in by far the best start of his young career.
AJ Smith-Shawver takes a no-hitter into the 8th inning in the longest outing of his career
pic.twitter.com/uEMe8Gtjx1
— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2025
Other Braves hurlers have come close, most notably Shelby Miller in 2015 when he came one out away against the Miami Marlins only to have it spoiled by Justin Bour. All it takes is catching lightning in a bottle, combined with a little luck, but the Braves have fallen short on the latter time and time again. This got us thinking – who will be the next Brave to finally pull off the feat? Maybe it will be another 31 years, but let’s explore some pitchers in the organization who could realistically add their name to an exclusive list.
Braves Pitchers Who Could Throw the Team’s Next No-Hitter
Spencer Strider
This one is obvious for several reasons. When healthy, Strider is the ace of the staff and one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. His elite fastball/slider combination and excellent control make him nearly untouchable when he is dialed in. Strider has come tantalizingly close to glory before. On April 24th, 2023, he lost a no-hit bid with one out in the eighth, also against the Marlins.
Strider is currently on the injured list with a strained hamstring, and is also coming off major elbow surgery just over a year ago. He certainly has no-hit ability, but it may be a while before he’s allowed to go long enough into a game to pull it off. Still, to put your money on “The Quadfather” for this exercise would seem wise.
Spencer Schwellenbach
The other Spencer is probably the next most likely no-hitter candidate currently on the Braves. With a 3.92 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in 28 career starts, the young righty has shown flashes of brilliance in his brief career. His stellar command of his entire repertoire typically leads to remarkable efficiency, which is crucial in order to throw a no-hitter in today’s day and age. Schwellenbach has hit the first real rough patch of his career in recent weeks, allowing 17 earned runs over his last four starts, but his overall numbers and peripherals are still terrific for such an inexperienced pitcher. With a bit more refinement, it’s easy to see him putting it all together for one magical game sometime down the road.
Chris Sale
The veteran Sale is coming off a dominant, Cy Young season in 2024 that proved he still has plenty left in the tank at age 36. He’s struggled to rediscover that form this year, carrying a 4.84 ERA in seven starts so far, but his last few starts have been his best of the season. Sale’s longest no-hit bid in his 15-year career came all the way back in 2013 as a member of the Chicago White Sox, when he lost a perfect game in the seventh against the Los Angeles Angels. He still has the talent to do it, but the clock is ticking.
AJ Smith-Shawver
Well, we know he has it in him now. Smith-Shawver’s talent is undeniable, but Monday was the first time we’ve seen the righty put it all together in 11 big league starts. With a disgusting splitter and solid fastball and slider, Braves fans can expect more dominant performances moving forward as the youngster figures it out in the big leagues. Still just 22, the future is extremely bright for Smith-Shawver, and he’s now officially on the Braves’ no-hitter watch list.
JR Ritchie
The Braves’ first-round pick in 2022 has been stellar in his minor league career. Ritchie is only 21 and still several years away from debuting in the majors, but he looks like a future difference-maker in the rotation when his time comes. The righty has a 1.65 ERA in six starts with the High-A Rome Emperors this year. He also looked good in the Spring Breakout game back in March.
Cam Caminiti
Caminiti is the most far-fetched name on this list, if only by virtue of his age and inexperience. The lefty was the Braves’ first-round pick last year out of Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has made just one start in Rookie ball as he gets acclimated to the pros. Still, he ranks as the top pitching prospect in the organization because of his big fastball, solid secondaries, and outstanding command for his age. He’s at least three years away from debuting, but the talent is immense.
Bryce Elder
Just kidding…only if hell freezes over.
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