After taking a look at who the Atlanta Braves home run leaders could be this season, let's shift to the defensive side of the field, and predict the five names that will lead the team in strikeouts during the 2024 campaign.
Predicting the Atlanta Braves Top 5 2024 strikeout leaders
5. RHP Reynaldo López
While a few others could be in the mix here, López is a name that could certainly make a splash in his first season with the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander had 83 strikeouts across 66 IP a year ago as a reliever, and could easily see that number rise in 2024, especially if he sees time as a starter.
4. RHP Charlie Morton
Morton was one of Atlanta's top strikeout pitchers a year ago, amassing 183 across 163.1 IP to rank second on the team. Since coming to Atlanta as well, Morton has two seasons of 200+ strikeouts, and should once again be in a position to amass around 180-200 punch outs.
3. LHP Max Fried
Making only 14 regular season starts a year ago, Fried ranked tied-fifth for Atlanta with 80 strikeouts across 77.2 IP. Having never eclipsed the 180-strikeout mark during his MLB career up to this point, I'll say that Fried has a career-year for Atlanta in 2024, surpasses that total, and ranks No. 3 for Atlanta in strikeouts this season.
2. LHP Chris Sale
One of the Braves biggest offseason moves was acquiring Sale, who has seven career seasons with at-least 200+ strikeouts, and is also coming off a 2023 campaign in which he had 125 across 102.2 IP with the Red Sox. Assuming the veteran left-hander makes more than 20 starts as he did a year ago, Sale could very easily flirt with the 200-strikeout mark in 2024. His K/9 is always strong, it's just a matter of getting the innings for Sale.
1. RHP Spencer Strider
The clear pick to lead the Braves in strikeouts is easily Strider, who is coming off a stellar 2023 where he led the MLB with 281 strikeouts across 186.2 IP, while also leading baseball with 20 total wins and a 13.5 K/9. Across his first two MLB seasons, Strider has a pair of 200+ strikeout campaigns, and will likely lead the Braves in punch outs this year, if not the entire sport.