Braves All-Star SP has surprising comments on Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani has left little doubt that he's the most dynamic and unique player in MLB.
That's what made Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider's postgame comments on the Los Angeles Angels superstar so noteworthy on Tuesday night.
It's true that any big league batter can get a knock off of any pitcher at any time, and Strider did say "no disrespect" to Ohtani, but still, seeing somebody call the 2023 AL MVP favorite "just like anybody else" is surprising.
Fortunately for the Braves righthander, he's crafting a remarkable resumé himself in his second full season and can back up most of his talk.
Strider finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 after going 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 202 strikeouts across 131 2/3 innings pitched. The 24-year-old made his first All-Star team this summer and is tied for the major league lead in wins (12) against just three losses in 2023. Strider also ranks first in the majors in strikeouts (208) by a wide margin and is third in the NL in WHIP (1.08).
Tuesday was the first time since July 2 where the Clemson University product didn't register double digit strikeouts, as he finished the evening with "only" nine across his 6 2/3 innings of work. Strider's now had at least nine strikeouts in eight consecutive outings dating back to June 20.
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