Just when Atlanta Braves fans were losing all sense of hope, it seems the roster woke up. Completing a sweep of the New York Mets breathed life back into the season and aided fans searching for a reason to believe the season isn't over just yet.
Right in the middle of this is ace Spencer Strider, who continues to find a path back to who he once was. Since returning from injury, the ace has had a noted dip in velocity and given up hits in bunches. However, the last two starts have shown a meaningful step forward with Strider working deeper into games and showing improved velocity.
Thursday's win was by far Strider's best start of the season and turned back the clock to the pitcher he once was. While things weren't completely back to normal, it was a step in the right direction.
Seeing the swing-and-miss stuff return along with a bump in velocity is exactly the path you want to see Strider on at this point in the season. It gives the Braves a great chance of having an incredible trio atop the rotation with Strider, Chris Sale, and Spencer Schwellenbach matching up with any postseason rotation.
Braves Ace Spencer Strider Quickly Returning to His Old Ways
If Strider continues to improve or can even maintain his current level of production, this is going to be a postseason team. There is simply too much talent in the rotation not to garner a wildcard spot and put the season back on track. As difficult as the road might be to get back into the postseason picture, Strider can prove to be the missing piece.
The Atlanta ace, giving the team three arms that have a chance to shut out any lineup and go deep into games, is too exciting to ignore. Even with how cursed the 2025 season has appeared to be, it unlocks the potential of what this roster could be.
However, the flip side of this is understanding that even if this does happen, there is a reason the Braves find themselves in their current position. A lack of front office spending has left little depth on the bench and put pressure on a dollar store bullpen. If a turnaround is going to happen, Atlanta needs to get to work fixing these clear concerns.