Braves’ best player In 2024, Spencer Strider intends to further his level of dominance.
ATLANTA (AP) — One of baseball’s most dominant pitchers is Spencer Strider.
That is insufficient for him.
In 2024, the ace of the Atlanta Braves wants to put even more pressure on everyone who opposes him.
Strider worked on developing a curveball throughout spring training since he was still upset about how the previous season ended, as he lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series. This curveball might add even more umph to his already potent repertoire.
“After evaluating the way the previous season concluded and the entire season, we — and me specifically — were not as good as we needed to be to accomplish our ultimate goal of winning the World Series,” Strider stated. “You begin addressing that by making the best progress you can. I could have done better by trying to take this curveball.
Strider had many reasons to be pleased with himself throughout his first full season as a starting pitcher. He was the only 20-game winner in baseball history, placed fourth in the NL Cy Young voting, and struck out 281 batters in a season, breaking the franchise record held by Hall of Famer John Smoltz.
Strider, however, was defeated in both of his starts in the NL Division Series against the rival Phillies, including the pivotal Game 4 in a boisterous Philadelphia where he gave up three runs in five and a third innings, all of which came from solo home runs.
Despite having a stellar 37-10 career record in the regular season, Strider has not won in the postseason and was badly outdueled by the Phillies in his lone 2022 NLDS start.
“As a pitcher, it is my responsibility to win games and championships for us,” he declared. “You won 162 games, but no one is giving you a trophy.” That’s how I kind of see things. My responsibility is to help the team achieve its objective of aiming to win a team trophy because this is a team sport. The World Series is that.
The 25-year-old Strider has one of the strongest sliders in the game in addition to a 100 mph fastball, which makes him nearly unhittable at times. Two outstanding pitches, however, aren’t always sufficient, as the postseason has demonstrated.
Strider gave batters something else to consider in spring training when he unveiled a harder breaking curve. The outcomes were astounding.
Over the course of six outings and 22 2/3 innings, he struck out 35 batters while giving up only two runs on 15 hits.
Strider remarked, “It’s a pitch that kind of fits my arsenal well; I’ve used it before.” Getting the hang of things wasn’t too tough. That was my viewpoint on the matter. How could I improve?
He didn’t want to add to his already impressive 2023 strikeout total, but it does seem possible that he may become just the 20th pitcher in baseball history to record 300 Ks in a season.
“I don’t think my reasoning or my way of thinking was necessarily that,” Strider remarked. In a sense, it was just another tool in my toolbox. I would go out and learn every pitch that has ever been thought of and have it available to me if I could. But I’m not able to accomplish it. It seemed sense to attempt incorporating this because it plays to my skills and abilities.
