South Gwinnett News

Just a year into his professional baseball career, Spencer Strider is doing all he can to be part of the defending champion Atlanta Braves' bullpen.

As the pitcher joins the team after beginning last season at Low-A Augusta, MLB.com reports the “hard-throwing right-hander” has never pitched at the major league level before last year.

“He’s got a big arm,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com. “I think the taste he got last year will serve him well. He’s an interesting guy.”

Strider missed the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, MLB reports. Despite having made just four starts for Clemson before the 2020 season was halted by COVID-19, the Braves took him on in the fourth round of that summer’s draft and watch as he pushed through four levels during his first minor league season last year.

“A year ago, my vision for how I was going to get to the big leagues was a lot different, a lot longer,” Strider told MLB.com. “So, to be around camp and these guys as long as I have been, regardless of how anything turns out, it’s obviously been very beneficial.”

Strider's fastball averaged 97.9 mph during his short big-league stint last year, according to MLB, though he touched 101 mph during one minor league game in 2021. After recovering from Tommy John surgery in February 2019, Strider totaled 12 innings over the four starts he made before the 2020 season reached an unexpected end.