Braves Provide Positive Update on SP Spencer Strider

While the Braves starter won't be around for opening day, he's still on the right track for participation in Spring Training

Strider is still on a positive track in his return to the mound | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Amidst the hype of an addition to the Atlanta Braves roster, general manager Alex Anthopoulos gave a position update on Spencer Strider.

According to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, the Braves righty has thrown four bullpen sessions during the winter and confirmed again that he, along with right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., will have a normal Spring Training. However, it was also reiterated that neither will play starting Opening Day.

So, the positive update here is that Strider is back to work.

Strider only pitched nine innings over two starts in 2024, so there’s obviously not much to gage off of that.

In 32 starts the previous season, he finished with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and a 109 ERA+ in 186 2/3 innings. He led the National League in strikeouts with 281. This earned him an All-Star appearance, and he finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting.

Once he’s back and in the rotation, he expected to pick up where he left off.

FanGraphs projects Strider to finish 2025 with an 8-5 record, a 3.19 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings pitched (11.92 per nine innings), a 1.09 WHIP, a 2.7 WAR and a 3.06 FIP.

The Braves will likely look to bridge the gap to his return with Grant Holmes, who had seven starts for the Braves last season.

Once Strider is back, the Braves rotation is projected to look like the following:

Chris Sale
Spencer Strider
Reynaldo Lopez
Spencer Strider
Ian Anderson

The Braves haven’t ruled out signing another starter, but it would have to be worth it in order for them to sign a guy who would take up a spot that Anderson or Holmes could slide into.

Outside of Anderson, each member of the fully healthy rotation has made at least one All-Star team in the last two seasons.