Spencer Strider is the strikeout king
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Photo: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider struck out his 100th batter of the season on Sunday — in just 61 innings pitched.
Why it matters: That's the fastest any pitcher has reached 100 strikeouts in a season in modern Major League Baseball history (since 1900).
By the numbers: Such dominance is nothing new for the mustachioed Strider, who last year set the record for the fastest to 200 strikeouts (131 innings).
- The current Cy Young favorite is 5-2 with a 2.97 ERA and 0.99 WHIP for the National League East-leading Braves.
- His 106 strikeouts are by far the most in MLB, and his 15 strikeouts per nine innings would shatter Gerrit Cole's non-pandemic season record (13.8 in 2019).
The backdrop: Strider, 24, began last year as a long reliever before getting his first start in May — a year ago yesterday — when Atlanta needed another arm in the rotation.
- He finished the year at 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA en route to a second-place Rookie of the Year finish.
- Now, the 2020 fourth-rounder out of Clemson might just be the best pitcher in the game.
Between the lines: Strider's dominance is fueled by a simple pitch mix more akin to a reliever's arsenal than a starter's, which makes sense given his origins in the bullpen.
- He essentially throws two pitches: a 97 mph four-seamer (61%) and an 85 mph slider (33%). Good luck hitting those.
- Occasionally, he drops in a wicked 87 mph changeup (6%).
The last word, via Defector's Tom Ley:
Strider is going out there every fifth day and providing a stunning answer to a childish question: What if a team just turned its best reliever into a starter and let him go nuts?
