Low-Key, High-Velocity Pitcher Spencer Strider Marches To The Beat Of A Different Drummer

Spencer Strider is definitely one of a kind.

The star right-hander of the Atlanta Braves has an unhittable fastball, a formidable mustache, and a vegan diet that separates him from the vast majority of major-leaguers.

He’s the first Atlanta player to wear No. 99, a uniform he chose in tribute to the “Wild Thing” reliever portrayed by Charlie Sheen in the film Major League, a Strider favorite.

The real-life pitcher also owns a $75 million contract that carries him through the 2028 season. He’ll earn $1 million each of the next two seasons and $4 million in 2025 before his salary jumps to $20 million in 2026 and then $22 million in each of the next two seasons. If his option is exercised, the deal would be worth $92 million over seven years.

That’s heady stuff for a guy who once told a reporter he didn’t want to be famous.

At age 24, the hard-throwing pitcher has overcome Tommy John elbow surgery, a diagnosis of high blood pressure, and a strained oblique that sent him to the sidelines last September and hampered him in his only appearance since – against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.

“I take responsibility for our whole season falling apart,” he told FOX Sports after the Braves blew a chance to retain their 2021 world championship by losing to the Phils in the four-game NLDS. Philadelphia, a wild-card winner that got hot when it counted most, went on to reach the World Series.

Strider was hot through most of the season. Thrust into the rotation just before Memorial Day, he became the fastest pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts, narrowly squeezing into the record book ahead of Hall of Famer Randy Johnson.

“He did some things last year that no one has ever done,” said Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz of Strider. “He’ll get his innings, that’s for sure.”

A Clemson product who turned pro when the Braves made him their fourth-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft, Strider rocketed through the minors, eventually finishing second to teammate Michael Harris II in voting for 2022 National League Rookie of the Year.

The Columbus, Ohio native, who now lives in Nashville, went 11-5 with a 2.67 earned run average, fanned 202 hitters in 131.2 innings, and had a WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) of 0.99. He also led all major-league starters with 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

If there’s no magic in his trademark mustache, there’s certainly magic in his powerful right arm. And don’t worry about Strider tweaking his facial hair to mimic Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. He doesn’t want to give the umpires a chance to blame him for doctoring the ball with mustache wax.

“I don’t know if he’s the only vegan in baseball but I do know he takes care of himself,” said Kranitz of Strider. “He eats well and knows his body.”

Strider adopted the plant-based vegan diet after he was diagnosed with high blood pressure at age 19 and decided he didn’t want to rely on medications for the rest of his life. He likes movies, music, and challenges – from making the team last spring to making a smooth transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation.

This year, his goal is to get better, which means adding a change-up to his fastball/slider repertoire, according to his pitching coach.

He’ll also take advice from teammate Charlie Morton, at 40 the dean of the Atlanta pitching staff.

“He’s got plenty of experience to share,” Kranitz said of Morton. “He’s a great guy and a great resource for a young man like Strider.”

Atlanta’s acquisition of Gold Glove catcher Sean Murphy from Oakland during the winter should also help, though Strider himself isn’t yet sure about the just-introduced pitch clock.

“It’s interesting,” said Strider, whose recent wedding to long-time girlfriend Maggie disappointed legions of female fans, “but we’ll all have to adjust to it. It’s part of the game now.”

One thing he won’t be doing is throwing twice between starts – a staple for Braves starters when Leo Mazzone served as pitching coach in the ‘90s.

The 6-foot, 195-pound pitcher doesn’t present an imposing appearance on the mound, as Hall of Fame flame-throwers Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson did. But as the personification of a powerhouse, Strider has made himself a household name.

In fact, he’s the only pitcher given a long-term contract extension by Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is his quest to keep his corps intact.

Thanks in large part to Strider, the Braves won their fifth straight divisonal crown – longest by any team – and won 101 games, most by any Atlanta team since 2003.

Since he’s virtually certain to get more than 20 starts he made in his rookie year, Strider could even find himself in the running for the Cy Young Award, last won by a Brave in 1998 (Tom Glavine).

At the very least, Spencer Robert Strider has made a big impression in a short amount of time.