Smith-Shawver grew up in Colleyville,Texas and attended Colleyville Heritage High School,where he played baseball and football.[1] He was Colleyville Heritage's starting quarterback and passed for 2,616 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. He stopped pitching to focus on football,[2] and was named All-Area by the Dallas Morning News as a third baseman after batting .344 with 20 RBIs.[3] Smith-Shawver committed to play both college baseball and college football at Texas Tech University.[4]
The following year,Smith-Shawver began the season with the Rome Braves.[11][12] At the High-A level,he made three starts,threw fourteen scoreless innings with four walks and 23 strikeouts,while yielding six hits.[13] On May 2,Smith-Shawver was promoted to the Mississippi Braves.[14] He allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings over two appearances at the Double-A level,[15] then made his Triple-A debut with the Gwinnett Stripers on May 19,yielding his first earned runs on the 2023 season.[7][16][17]
Atlanta Braves
On May 30,2023,the Braves selected Smith-Shawver's contract and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time.[18][19] He faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in his major league debut on June 4,pitching 2+1⁄3 innings of relief while recording three strikeouts and one walk.[20][21] Smith-Shawver made his first start against the Washington Nationals on June 9,[22] yielding two unearned runs on three hits in 5+1⁄3 innings.[2][23] On June 15, Smith-Shawver earned his first win, giving up six hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 5+2⁄3 innings against the Colorado Rockies.[24] He became the youngest Braves pitcher to win a game since Steve Avery on August 24, 1990.[25] On June 26, Shawver was optioned back down to Gwinnett to make room on the roster for the Braves to promote relief pitcher Dereck Rodriguez.[26]
Smith-Shawver was invited to spring training before the 2024 regular season began,[27] but did not make the club and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.[28]
On May 5, 2025, Smith-Shawver pitched eight shutout innings in the longest start of his professional career. He did not yield a hit until the top of the eighth, to Santiago Espinal of the Cincinnati Reds.[29][30] He was removed from a game on May 29, and placed on the 15-day injured list.[31][32] Smith-Shawver was subsequently moved to the 60-day IL and diagnosed with a UCL tear.[33] He underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9, officially ending his season.[34]
Personal life
AJ Smith was raised by his mother Laurie and stepfather Jason. He added Shawver to his surname while in high school.[2] He is now dating Josie Canseco, daughter of former MLB star, Jose Canseco.
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