Strider Showing He's More Important Than Ever to Braves

Nearly every Atlanta Braves starter is hurt. The bats are having the worst showing in years. Meanwhile, Strider is returning to All-Star form

Strider hasn't been phased by the sinking ship around him | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Spencer Strider gave the Atlanta Braves another desperately needed strong start on the mound in the 7-3 win over the New York Yankees Friday night. 

He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out eight. 

It’s been quite the turnaround. After having a 5.80 ERA in his first five starts, seeing the Braves lose all of them, he’s now had a 2.53 ERA in his last seven. He’s struck out 58 batters in 42 2/3 innings in those five starts compared to 24 in 25 innings in his first seven. 

He’s getting deeper into games and is looking closer to his All-Star self. Normally, it would make for a nice perk. However, for the Braves this season, they’ve needed it more than ever. 

In the past, the Braves also had Max Fried and Charlie Morton, along with 20-game winner Kyle Wright one of the years. Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach stepped up last season when Strider was hurt, and Fried and Morton were still around then. 

The rotation benefited from Strider, but he had made for a bonus, or the rotation was able to absorb the blow of his absence. For those who disagree with the latter, keep in mind the rotation had the third-best ERA in baseball last season. 

Now, Fried and Morton are gone. The expectation was that Strider returning from a UCL injury would soften the blow of losing two reliable starters. As he’s gotten back to full strength, he’s achieved that expectation. 

It would be more noticeable if Sale and Schwellenbach were healthy and pitching as well as they did. Having the run support that dried up, too, wouldn’t have hurt to have either. 

The pressure is arguably higher because of the injuries. It’s not phasing him. He’s only gotten better as the season has gone south. 

Even when Sale and Schwellenbach get back, he’ll still have a heightened importance going forward. He’s the present and future of the starting rotation. This isn’t new information. However, this injury-riddled stretch provides another reason why that’s the case. 

You don’t always know what you have until it’s gone, and not having arms helps you realize that. But having Strider out there and still doing it once every five times through the rotation brings an appreciation, too. It’s a reminder of what it looks like when others are missing. It’s a reminder of the All-Star season two years ago, when he led the NL in strikeouts and won 20 games.  

Fans missed him when he was gone, but they truly understand what they have now.