Former Clemson Tiger Spencer Strider was named The Sporting News National League (NL) Rookie of the Year on Thursday following his first full season with the Atlanta Braves in 2022.
Strider earned the honor following a historic rookie season for the Braves where he became the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 200 strikeouts in a single season, surpassing Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (2001).
In his first full season in Atlanta, the right-hander recorded a 2.67 ERA with an 11-5 record and 202 strikeouts through 31 game appearances and 20 starts. Coming into the 2022 season, Strider quickly transitioned from a bullpen role to a key starter for the Braves’ rotation, bringing a nasty triple-digit fastball and slider combination that have played a big part in Strider’s success on the mound for Atlanta.
The Ohio native spent three seasons with the Tigers from 2018-2020, garnering a 4.71 ERA, 5-2 record and one save over the course of two active seasons, 26 game appearances and 63.0 innings pitched. In his final season at Clemson, Strider became a key weekend starter for the Tigers as well as a long reliever out of the bullpen before being drafted in the fourth round (No. 126 overall pick) by the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Congratulations to @SpencerSTRIDer on being named the @sportingnews NL Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/3baAtbIAlD
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 27, 2022
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