92.9 the Game Atlanta Braves insider Grant McAuley joined Dukes & Bell to give us the latest on spring training and why despite having a dominate third pitcher Spencer Strider is a legitimate CY Young award candidate.
When asked if Strider needs a third pitch to be a CY Young candidate.
“Yeah, I mean, I think he’s CY Young material anyway, just based on the historic way that he racked up strikeouts. I mean, there's just nobody else in the modern baseball era, really any baseball era that was able to go into a starting rotation and over as long a period of time as he did average over 13 strikeouts per nine and be the fastest pitcher to 200 strikeouts in a season period,” McAuley said. “I mean, those are some accolades that will get you on that list for not just rookie of the year in the case last year, but also CY Young and, and as I look at this change up, I mean, I don't think it's a pitch that, he lacks confidence in, but it's kind of that work in progress. It's one that he was mixing in, you know, a little bit last year, but really wanted to bring into this season, make some changes and develop just another iteration, another wrinkle that that hitters have to think about.”
McAuley talked about Strider could take it to another level.
“But when you throw 99, 100 miles an hour with the kind of movement that he has and with the slider, that's kind of out pitch that it is he can because of his have the opportunity to be more of a two pitch pitcher than most starters have any business being. And that I think is really what the foundation of his success is built on. Then you add in a changeup and I think that's where he could take it next level and where you could start talking about perennially this young award contender Spencer Strider.”