Braves' Spencer Strider looks ready to dominate once again

The 26-year-old right-hander looked much like his old self, touching 98 mph on a strikeout of Boston Red Sox top prospect outfielder Roman Anthony and 96 mph on a punchout of young shortstop Marcelo Mayer. He also featured his elite slider and a few nasty hooks, signaling that Strider's recovery is nearly complete as he looks to rejoin the Braves rotation sometime in mid-to-late April.

As teammate and 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale said, "Let's not forget, he's still the best pitcher on this team."

After Monday's eye-opening display in spring training, that statement looks convincing. 

Of course, there's also precedent for Strider's dominance in MLB. In his last full season before injury (2023), Strider was a force for the Braves, pitching to a 3.86 ERA over 32 starts, including a whopping 281 strikeouts over 186.2 innings, the most of any pitcher in baseball that year. 

Pairing that production with a resurgent Sale and second-year right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach would go a long way toward replacing starters Max Fried and Charlie Morton's quality innings after both left Atlanta for the Yankees and Orioles this past winter, respectively.

One way or another, though, the Braves find a way. You only have to look at their injury-riddled 2024 campaign sans Strider and superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., which still resulted in an NL wild-card berth. Still, there's no doubt that a healthy Strider goes a long way, especially in an NL East division where Atlanta will face strong competition from the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets this season.