If you haven’t been paying attention, Spencer Strider is a prospect name to become very familiar with. Last year’s fourth-round selection out of Clemson made his professional debut with the August Green Jackets — the Braves A-affiliate — but he quickly earned a promotion after laughably dominating opponents. Strider struck out a ridiculous 32 batters in just 15.1 innings, allowing one earned run (0.59 ERA) in A-ball.
Things didn’t get too much more difficult for Strider in Rome either. This time, he earned a promotion after just 14.2 innings, tallying 24 strikeouts. He did give up four runs, but still, his 2.45 ERA was more than palatable. Combined between the two levels, Strider has held opponents to a .144 batting average while boasting a 0.87 WHIP. On Tuesday, he was promoted to Mississippi.
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Strider made his first start for the M-Braves on Thursday, and though it would be expected for him to scuffle a bit in his first outing against upper minor-league competition, he looked like the same Spencer Strider. He struck out two in the opening frame — the first of eight Ks on the night in just 4.2 innings.
Spencer Strider strikes out the first Double-A hitter he faces. pic.twitter.com/imx1r2CR1m
— Matt Chrietzberg (@BravesMattC) June 24, 2021
Braves prospect guru, David Lee, suggested Strider didn’t seem to be phased by the higher competition, sitting in the high-90s with his fastball and keeping batters off-balance with his breaking ball.
I mean, it's just more of the same for Spencer Strider. Hitters getting beat to the spot by a riding FB at 95-97. Mixing in the breaking ball effectively. It's crazy how quickly his status is rising.
— David Lee (@David11Lee) June 25, 2021
Strider’s final line read: 4.2 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 2 walks, an 8 strikeoutsÂ
Strider certainly wasn’t considered the sexiest pick of the Braves 2020 five-round draft, but he’s undoubtedly been the most effective in his first stint of professional ball. We’ll see how he handles Mississippi; it will be a much tougher task for him to handle. However, if it’s just more of the same for Strider in AA, then it’s very possible that he makes his major-league debut as early as next season.
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