Has Spencer Strider locked up the NL Rookie of the Year award?

With yet another dominant pitching outing last night, has Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider become the frontrunner for the NL Rookie of the Year award?

Armed with his red glove and fancy mustache, Atlanta Braves rookie pitcher Spencer Strider mowed down the Colorado Rockies Thursday night at Truist Park. He pitched eight innings of two-hit ball, did not allow a run, and struck out 16 batters.

His 16 Ks set a new record for most strikeouts thrown in a game by a Brave since the move to Atlanta.

Historical editor’s note:  on June 14, 1952, Warren Spahn (Boston Braves) K’d 18 Chicago Cubs batters over 15 innings in a 3-1 loss. 

This was yet another brilliant outing for Strider, who is now 9-4 with a 2.67 ERA. His 174 strikeouts this season are more than Sandy Alcantara, Shane Bieber, and Justin Verlander.

He began 2022 out of the bullpen before moving to the starting rotation at the end of May. Since then, he has etched his spot in this rotation for the next few years.

With his success, it is no surprise that Strider has become the front runner for the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year award. Some betting sites list him as the odds-on favorite, and with his stats, it’s not hard to see why.

He currently leads all qualified rookie pitchers in strikeouts (174), WHIP (0.98), and batting average against (.179).

He is also second in wins and innings pitched, with nine and 114.2 respectively. A big key to his success is his use of the slider. Strider’s slider (say that ten times fast) has produced a 53.2% whiff rate, and batters have an xBA of .113 against it.

Strider’s biggest threat to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award might be his fellow Braves teammate, Michael Harris II. Since getting called up from AA back in May, Harris has hit .298 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, stolen 16 bases, and has an OPS+ of 137. He has also produced some nice defensive plays for Atlanta out in center field.

If I had to put money on it, I would say Strider has the edge to win the award because of his impressive pitching stats so far. Setting a new franchise record is also a pretty big deal. Regardless of who wins, however, Braves fans should feel excited about the future of this organization.

Harris, Strider, and the recently called up Vaughn Grissom have made a huge impact for the 2022 club, and with each player under team control for the next several years, it’s going to be a lot of fun watching the Braves play every day and compete for championships.