The Braves didn’t make many acquisitions this offseason, the only notable one being Jurickson Profar, but like every old baseball head loves to say, “It’s like trading for an All-Star in the middle of the season.”
Atlanta is expected to welcome back two of the best players in the sport in Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr., who both suffered season-ending injuries last year. Strider was the preseason Cy Young favorite, and Acuna was coming off an MVP campaign.
The hope is they can return to form quickly, and if they do, the Atlanta Braves will not only become World Series threats, but they should be considered the favorites, including over the Dodgers. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden included the pair of superstars in his Comeback Player of the Year candidates list, both appearing in the top 5.
4. Spencer Strider, RHP, Braves
Strider finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2023 and was the heavy favorite in Las Vegas to win the award last year before needing internal-brace elbow surgery in April after making only two starts. Although his rehab has gone well, he won’t be on the Opening Day roster, but could be back in the Braves’ rotation by late April or early May. Strider, 26, has had two major elbow surgeries — he had Tommy John surgery in 2019 at Clemson — so Atlanta will likely hold him back to save innings for late in the season and hopefully the postseason as well.
In 2022, Strider went 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 20 starts and 11 relief appearances. He became a full-time starter in 2023 and led the league with 20 wins, 281 strikeouts and a 2.85 FIP. When Strider is right, his fastball is 97 to 98 mph, with a wipeout slider and changeup to form an arsenal that’s as dominant as any in the game.
Spencer Strider isn’t supposed to miss more than a handful of turns in the rotation, and everything coming out of North Port this Spring Training is that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery. If Strider returns to the level he was pitching before the injury, the Braves rotation will feature three legitimate Cy Young candidates in Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale, and Strider.
5. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF, Braves
Every season-ending injury is brutal, but Acuña’s ACL tear last May was particularly so coming off a scintillating 2023 in which he became the first MLB player in history to enter the 40-70 Club (home runs, stolen bases). He unanimously won the NL MVP Award, leading the league in on-base percentage, OPS, hits, runs, stolen bases and total bases. However, last year he played only 49 games before blowing out his left knee, three seasons after tearing the ACL in his right knee in 2021.
The Braves are being very careful with his return, and like Strider, he’s expected to start the season on the injured list. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos would like Acuña to be as close to 100 percent as possible before reinstating him, to give him the best chance to stay on the field and play to his accustomed levels. I can’t wait to see him back in action.
Ronald Acuna Jr. has taken this road before, and he looked like a shell of himself in his first season back from his first ACL. Fortunately, he’s older and wiser, and so are the Atlanta Braves. They know what to do and what not to do with Acuna and this injury specifically. There’s no reason to rush him back, and there’s no reason to expect him to look like the 2022 version of himself following his first ACL because he’s taking all of the necessary steps to be even better than that this time around.
Anthopoulos: “Both Strider and Acuña have a chance to be the best at their respective positions, so we are anxious to get them back on the field.”
—
Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.