In 2025, the Atlanta Braves starting rotation was decimated by injuries, which every single member of their Opening Day rotation going on the 60-day IL at some point in the season. Although Spencer Strider was not a part of the Opening Day rotation, he too couldn't seem to avoid injuries, spending a month on the IL after returning from rehabbing his elbow injury in April.
Still, Strider finished with the third-most innings on the Braves, with mixed results. In 2026, Strider won't have to be the ace, but if Atlanta wants to compete in the NL East, they need a rebound from the righty.
Braves need a big rebound from Spencer Strider in 2026
Last season was certainly a frustrating season for the 2023 All Star. At some points, the righty flamethrower looked like the ace he was before the elbow injury knocked him out in 2024. At other points, fans began to wonder if the extension he signed as a rookie was a mistake.
On the whole, Strider finished 2025 with a 4.45 ERA, 4.53 FIP, and just 0.9 fWAR in 125.1 innings. His 24.3% strikeout-rate was a far cry from the 36.8% K-rate he rocked during his last full season in the bigs in 2023. However, dismissing that Strider could be an ace again would be foolish. From June 14, where he had a 13 strikeout game against the Rockies, to July 18, where he threw six shutout innings against the Yankees, the righty had a 2.53 ERA, 2.46 FIP, and a 34.1% strikeout rate.
After a stretch of getting hammered, Strider had a 2.50 ERA in his last six starts of the season, which was encouraging, but not entirely convincing thanks to strikeout numbers were more akin to Bryce Elder than Strider.
At the end of the season, Strider admitted that he needed the offseason to reset after spending the last year rehabbing nonstop. Rest, coupled with a different perspective from a new pitching coach and Spencer Strider's intense drive should have Braves fans more bullish than bearish.
With a healthy Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves don't even need Strider to even be their second-best starting pitcher this season. As long as Strider can put together a full season similar to his 2025 without the disasterous August, the Braves will be in a good position. However, if Strider isn't able to rebound in 2026, Atlanta might not have the manpower to keep up with a highly competitive NL East, especially with the back half of the rotation being a question mark.