Things are looking up for the Atlanta Braves, as Spencer Strider has been ramping things up as the season draws closer to starting. As he prepares for the season, he has drawn praise from a Braves coach, Jeremy Hefner, who has agreed with the notion that Strider might be a better pitcher despite the loss in velocity, according to an article by Mark Bowman on MLB.com
“You get backed into a corner because you don't have the same stuff you did before, and you have to figure out a way. So that's a credit to Spencer and his willingness to try new things and try to figure out how to be the best version of himself to help the team win,” Bowman wrote.
Strider struggled in 2025 after returning from an elbow injury that derailed his 2024 season. He went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA with 131 strikeouts and 51 walks. Before missing the majority of the 2024 season, Strider went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA and 281 strikeouts in 2023.
The goal for the Braves is to get Strider back on track this season. However, his velocity is down. His fastball used to average 97.2 MPH and is now 94.8 MPH. Strider will have to get outs in a different way. So far, it's working successfully. Strider tossed four shutout innings in a 5-3 Spring Training win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He struck out five over four.
Strider will have more chances to ramp things up. Yet, if he is to bounce back this season, he will need to continue to mix up more secondary pitches to have a chance to once again be one of the best pitchers in the game.
