Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider and the Philadelphia Phillies have heavily feuded since his rookie campaign in 2022. They have met in multiple postseason trips, both of which the Phillies came out on top. Phillies fans call Strider's name in anticipation of taking down a perennial Cy Young candidate. The Phillies were given a break from Strider after he underwent UCL reconstruction surgery last year. He has since made his return to the mound, but he's been a shell of himself.
Strider was a favorite coming in to win the 2024 NL Cy Young award before getting diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. Since his return earlier this year, Strider is showing a less threatening version and could spare the Phillies in potential future matchups. It always feels like the Phillies are waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to facing star pitching, but now there's a growing suspicion that the worst could be over against Strider.
Phillies could be facing a lesser version of Spencer Strider from here on out
Strider is a heavy fastball pitcher who relies on the swing and miss to get outs. In 2022, his strikeout rate was an astounding 38.3 percent, but has progressively dropped to 22.4 percent in 2025. Subsequently, his K/9 has suffered as well, per Brady Penn of 680 The Fan.
All that to say, history isn’t fully against Spencer. Didn’t dig into the K/9 numbers but he may have to *reinvent* himself, but I would hold off on saying he’s doomed
— Brady Penn (@bradypenn21) June 4, 2025
Per Statcast, his overall four-seam velocity drop dates back to 2022 (98.2 mph in 2022, 97.2 mph in 2023, 96.3 mph in 2024 and 95.1 mph in 2025). On the year, he's pitching to a 0-5 record, 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and has recorded only 24 strikeouts through 25 innings pitched. Maybe the decline was coming regardless.
Phillies fans are expectedly relieved to see Strider struggling, with him being the face of the rotation of a division rival. The Phillies did beat him and the Braves in back-to-back postseason appearances, but during the regular season, he still has an 8-1 record, 2.05 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 10 starts. The lone loss ironically came just on May 27 in which Strider pitched 4 1/3 innings while allowing just one run.
Many fans can point to UCL surgery as the reason for the rust, which is fair, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The problem is the overall drop in multiple aspects of his attack now has the Phillies in prime position to battle Strider again and potentially do a lot more damage than in recent years. He's still given the benefit of the doubt and should be by the Phillies based on how he's handled them. But with him declining, there's a realistic chance the Phillies could be facing a lesser version of Strider from here on out.