2024 is shaping up to be a potentially monumental year for the Atlanta Braves, particularly for superstar ace, Spencer Strider. The whispers are growing louder in the baseball community, and many are starting to believe that Strider could be on track to win the coveted Triple Crown.
It seems unreal for a 25-year-old pitcher, yet Strider already has the Braves franchise record holder for strikeouts in a season for a team with an illustrious history of HOF pitchers. Today, let’s dive into realistic expectations for the Braves young ace.
Bold Predictions for Spencer Strider in 2024
He Breaks the Braves Strikeout Record Again
The first of our bold predictions for Spencer Strider is he will eclipse 300 Ks this year. Joining the ranks of Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax, he would be the youngest pitcher in this century to hit the 300 mark.
Strider has an impressive career with a 13.6 strikeout over nine innings pitched (K/9), and he unleashed a new curveball this highly effective spring. In his 18 spring innings, he has improved his K/9 to 14.0.
“[The curveball] is just something I wish I had been throwing,” Strider said. “It just fits my strengths and the way I pitch, not only philosophically, but mechanically. I spent a lot of time working on it in the offseason, and it’s definitely more comfortable than I thought it would be this early.”
Strider’s ZIPS projection for 2024 is 234 Ks and a 13.2 K/9, which is excellent, but leaning on the conservative to the low side. The curveball will get him plus 14.0 K/9 on the season; he will see an increased workload and higher pitch count allowance, resulting in more innings pitched. He pitched 186 last season, and with 200 innings this year with a 14.0 SO9, we are looking at 326. In short, he will hit 300+ strikeouts in 2024.
Strider Will Win 20 Games
Number two of our bold predictions for Strider is he will lead the league in wins this year. With the Brave’s offensive firepower, each of Strider’s 32 starts will be his to lose; it’s hard to imagine he will lose more than 12 while increasing his strikeout rate.
Once again, his ZIPS projection is conservative to be nice but low at 15, but even at 15, he is projected to lead the league. It also projects his ERA at a higher than 2023 at 3.16. With 50 under his belt, the league has enough data on him to combat his tendencies and technique, but Strider is intelligent enough of a pitcher to overcome this.
With his new curveball, if Strider pulls down his ERA, increases his strikeouts while breaking the 300 mark and wins 20 games, he will easily be the NL Cy Young winner. Even with the low expectations of Fangraphs ZIPS, Strider is projected to win the Triple Crown.
Strider and the Braves Win World Series Game 1
On to the last of our bold predictions for the Braves ace, Strider will win his first World Series game in 2024. That’s a big one, but with the breaking allegations in Dodgers camp, the Braves should be the Spring favorite to win the NL, and Strider will be a crucial part of that.
Take note: in 2024, Spencer Strider will break 300 strikeouts and win the NL Cy Young and Triple Crown while leading the Braves to their 19th NL Pennant. This year, we will see the torch passing from Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Max Scherzer to Spencer Strider, who will be the top pitcher for the next decade.
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