The Atlanta Braves found gold in starting pitcher Spencer Strider.
Last season he was called up to start his MLB career, and he took the league by storm.
Strider finished second in NL Rookie of the Year polls, and showed effective strikeout material.
This season Strider has been nothing short of spectacular.
He threw 46.2 innings with a 2.51 ERA and an MLB-leading 79 strikeouts.
According to StatMuse, Strider has a 15.2 K/9 this season.
This lead the league and marked the first time a starting pitcher would have a K/9 over 15.
Most K/9 this season:
15.2 — Spencer Strider
13.4 – Jacob deGrom
12.9 – Shohei OhtaniNo SP has ever recorded 15+ K/9 in an entire season. Can Strider do this? pic.twitter.com/rLuf9UctNo
— Statmuse (@statmuse) May 13, 2023
The only other starters on this list are Jacob deGrom and Shohei Ohtani.
Both have been effective starters, but neither can get people out at Strider’s rate.
Atlanta has done a great job of developing star players.
They have a squad full of youth and long-term players.
The Braves are going to be dangerous for many years to come.
Strider seems poised to win at least one Cy Young Award during his career.
Atlanta has been the second best team in baseball this season, and the best in the NL.
He has a 25–13 record and leads the NL East by 6.0 games.
The Braves had derailed their seasons in previous years due to injury problems.
Strider is the early favorite to win the NL Cy Young.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is also an early favorite to win NL MVP.
With a young roster led by those two stars, the future is bright in Atlanta.
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