Spencer Strider wasn’t himself after injury — but his finish changes everything for Braves

The Atlanta Braves would probably just rather forget the 2025 MLB season.

They entered the year thought of as one of baseball's best teams, and they very much weren't that.

They did get ace right-hander Spencer Strider back after he made only two starts in 2024 before injury, but even he wasn't his usual self.

One of the ways the Braves could potentially bounce back this season would be if Strider can return to his dominant 2023 form.

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It's not a given, but ESPN's Alden Gonzalez sees it as a real possibility in a new angle he wrote on Wednesday.

"Strider didn't quite look like himself in his return from elbow surgery last season," Gonzalez writes. "His strikeout rate was 24.3%, compared to 36.8% when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2023. His fastball was down a couple of ticks and often lacked late life. His ERA stood at 4.45. But Strider was highly effective in the stretch run, maintaining a 2.50 ERA over his last six starts. And one would expect the quality of his stuff to return now that he's another year removed from surgery."

Strider went 20-5 during the 2023 season with 281 strikeouts in 186.2 innings. He was about as overpowering as a pitcher can be in modern baseball.

He had the sweet mustache and the muscular quads, too, turning him into an immense fan favorite in Atlanta.

His 4.45 ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine ratio in 2025 weren't awful, but they weren't his full self.

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As Gonzalez writes, though, Strider finished strong. That could set up a big season ahead.

"The Braves are currently deep in pitching prospects, with three players making up Kiley McDaniels' top 100," Gonzalez writes. "But Strider is still the one who can put them over the top in a highly competitive division."

The NL East sure isn't easy.

Strider can be the guy to help push the Braves back toward the top.

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