Rookie pitcher Spencer Strider continues to turn heads and miss bats this season for the defending champion Atlanta Braves.
On Thursday night, Strider struck out 12 batters over six innings faced against a strong St. Louis Cardinals lineup.
Through the first three innings, all nine of Strider’s outs recorded were strikeouts. He became the first Braves pitcher to ever do that.
9 strikeouts through 3 innings seems pretty good, you guys 👨🏻@SpencerSTRIDer | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/503ZPrhZRi
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 8, 2022
.@SpencerSTRIDer tonight became the first pitcher in Atlanta franchise history to record each of his first nine outs via strikeout.
(Research courtesy @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/joD7WYiOeX
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 8, 2022
Franchise record.
The previous mark: 6 pic.twitter.com/uJfZoB9g45
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) July 8, 2022
Strider is also the first Braves pitcher in the modern era to strike out at least 10 batters in consecutive outings (he struck out 11 over six innings vs the Cincinnati Reds in his last outing).
Spencer Strider is the first Braves rookie in the Modern Era (since 1900) with 10 strikeouts in consecutive outings. pic.twitter.com/LCvTJksgoF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 8, 2022
He’s also the first MLB rookie in the modern era with at least 11 strikeouts and two fewer hits allowed in consecutive starts (he allowed two hits vs the Cardinals and one hit vs the Reds).
More on Spencer Strider…
Strider is the FIRST ROOKIE in MLB's Modern Era (since 1900) with 11+ strikeouts and 2 or fewer hits allowed in consecutive starts. pic.twitter.com/BNIzgHqsEK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 8, 2022
On the season, Strider has a 2.60 ERA and 1.83 FIP over 65 2/3 innings (19 games, eight starts). He’s striking out a ridiculous 13.98 batters per nine innings.
And the eye test is every bit as impressive as the numbers, with Strider routinely hitting 100-plus mph on the radar gun (he entered Thursday *averaging* 98.4 mph on his fastball).
The baseball world has had plenty of reaction to Strider’s latest strikeout-filled gem.
The last MLB pitchers to strike out 9 batters in the first 3 innings:
Spencer Strider on 7/7/22
Pablo López on 7/11/21
Aaron Nola on 6/25/21
Anthony DeSclafani on 6/23/19
Corbin Burnes on 3/31/19From 2008 – 2018, 8 pitchers accomplished this feat. https://t.co/0vRGnZOxeT
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 8, 2022
Best MLB single-season K/9 rates,
at least 100 innings pitched:13.82 <—- Gerrit Cole, 2019
13.50 <—- Chris Sale, 2018
13.41 <—- Randy Johnson, 2001In ~66 IP this year, Spencer Strider is at 13.98! 😮 https://t.co/kI3iiCaxWh
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/drivelinebases/status/1545212184786976768
In this I point out that Strider has the best Stuff+ in baseball… even looking at only his starts. Giddyap https://t.co/WuaZMb5uyY
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) July 8, 2022
So Strider just retired 9 of the first 12 batters he saw all via the strikeout.
Can we give him NL ROY yet?
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) July 8, 2022
I do think getting to see Spencer Strider and Jordan Hicks pitch in the same game is one of the cooler pitching moments I can remember.
36 pitches of 100 mph or harder (I round up because I'm old school).
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) July 8, 2022
Michael Harris and Spencer Strider have seen Major League Baseball and decided that it's not difficult and everybody else is whining
— Battery Power (@BatteryPowerSBN) July 8, 2022
NL leaders in pitching fWAR:
1. Sandy Alcantara – 3.4
2. MAX FRIED- 3.3
3. Carlos Rodon – 3.2
4. Aaron Nola – 3.0
5. Zack Wheeler – 2.9
6. Corbin Burnes – 2.6
7. SPENCER STRIDER- 2.4
8. Joe Musgrove – 2.3
9. Logan Webb – 2.2
10. KYLE WRIGHT – 2.1— Matt Chrietzberg (@BravesMattC) July 8, 2022
