Spencer Strider Is Basically An Automatic Win For The Braves This Season

The Atlanta Braves have won 82 games this year, against just 44 losses.

A sizable percentage of those wins, 14 to be exact, are directly tied to the performance of one pitcher: Spencer Strider.

The spectacular right-hander has a 3.57 ERA (with a much better 2.86 FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching) in 146.1 innings.

Strikeouts?

Lots of them: 227 to be exact.

He has been so good that every time he takes the ball, the Braves’ odds of winning dramatically increase.

According to Codify Baseball, Atlanta is 20-5 in Strider’s 25 starts so far this season.

The Braves are 20-5 in Spencer Strider starts this year. pic.twitter.com/6fXjDGR6qD

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 25, 2023

That’s an incredible record and goes to show that the stellar right-hander always puts them in a position to compete.

His excellent performance at the top of the rotation is actually one of the main reasons behind the team’s dominant display in 2023.

Yes, the offense is absurdly good (even historically good, you might say), but without Strider guaranteeing a quality start almost every time, they probably wouldn’t have 80 wins by now.

The strikeout ability is phenomenal: Strider is the only pitcher with 10 starts with at least 10 strikeouts this season.

The next best pitcher, Kevin Gausman, has seven such starts.

Strider’s fastball-slider combo is just too much for hitters.

In his last 11 starts dating back to June 20, Strider has a 2.93 ERA and a 7-2 record.

He might be the most overpowering pitcher in baseball at this moment, at least among starters.

He was injured during last year’s stretch run and wasn’t 100 percent in the postseason.

This time, the Braves are making sure to prioritize his health to have him locked and loaded for their next playoff run.

With that offense and Strider making two starts per long series in October, the Braves will be a tough out.

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