Atlanta Braves May Need to Acknowledge Harsh Spencer Strider Reality in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider features one of the highest ceilings in MLB. With that being said, Strider struggled in 2025 after battling an injury for almost all of 2024. His early spring training results in 2026 have been far from ideal, and while we don't want to overreact to a couple of outings, the Braves may need to acknowledge a harsh Strider reality this season.
Beginning with his numbers so far this spring, the right-handed hurler has surrendered three earned runs across 4.1 innings en route to a 6.23 ERA. The good news is that he has only walked one hitter compared to six strikeouts. Overall, Strider's spring statistics are not a guarantee that he will have another challenging year.
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However, is Strider going to pitch at a superstar level again anytime soon?
Spencer Strider's RealityThis is a pitcher who has not found success since 2023. Injuries obviously factor into that, but it has been a few years since we have seen a Cy Young caliber Strider. Even in his 2023 campaign that saw him finish fourth in National League Cy Young voting, Strider still recorded a fairly mediocre 3.86 ERA. There's no question he was incredible from a strikeout perspective, as he recorded 281 for the season.
Still, he wasn't necessarily dominant on the mound in reference to run prevention. His 3.86 ERA is the second lowest mark of his career, however. In 2022, Strider pitched to a 2.67 ERA and also struck out 202 hitters. He had that performance during his rookie season back in 2022, en route to finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
The potential is unquestionably still present. Strider could certainly bounce back. After making just two starts in 2024 and pitching to a 4.45 ERA across 23 outings during the '25 campaign, the Braves need Strider to prove he can still pitch at a high level this season. With Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both dealing with injuries, Strider's performance will be even more important in 2026.
If he struggles once again this season, the Braves may need to acknowledge the reality that Strider might not find his 2022 and 2023 form anytime soon. At this current moment, however, the possibility of a strong Strider season remains. An underwhelming 2026 campaign may force the Braves to wonder if Spencer Strider is still one of their pitchers of the future.