The 2025 season was a lesson in patience for former Clemson Ace Spencer Strider.
Coming back from an internal brace surgery on his right elbow in 2024, Strider turned into a “test case” for the modern recovery timeline. He delivered 125.1 innings last year — a rare achievement for a first-year returnee — but the results were mixed.
His velocity dropped nearly 3 mph from his 2023 peak and so did his rate of strikes down from 37% to a more human 24%. Although he displayed brilliance in a nine-game stretch where he posted a 2.91 ERA, he ended the year fighting to find the consistent "snap" on his four-seamer.
2026 Season Preview: Starting his age-27 season is now officially underway. The training wheels are officially off. According to reports from Braves spring camp in North Port, Strider’s fastball has returned to the 97–99 mph range and is nearly two ticks ahead of his marks for 2025.
He has spent the winter honing a “show-me” curveball and a steadier changeup to save his top heater. With a complete offseason focused on positive strength training, Strider should soon be working his way back up to the 200-strikeout division.
He is no longer just an option for Atlanta; he is the dominant force behind a rotation with aspirations to the World Series. Expect Strider to be the National League lead in K/9 once more, reclaiming his title as the most feared right-hander in the game.