Finally, we have arrived at the return of Stache 'N' Gas! Atlanta Braves fans are doing cartwheels in the streets over Spencer Strider's triumphant return to the starting rotation on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. When the righty is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately, Braves Country got precisely two starts out of him last year before he needed to have elbow surgery. It was not Tommy John, but it did end his 2024 season.
Flash forward to the 2025 MLB season, and the Braves stink! Through 17 games they are 5-12 on the year. While they have played .500 ball of late, that 0-7 start continues to be an insurmountable hole. Admittedly, there have been signs that Atlanta is eventually going to get this right; the bats are starting to wake up to some extent. And even though Spencer Schwellenbach struggled on Tuesday night in Toronto, the rotation has not been this team's biggest bugaboo.
That would be this awesomely bad bullpen Alex Anthopoulos threw together and thought was okay. It may be another feast-or-famine offensive year for the Braves. Sadly, it will not matter how much better Strider makes the rotation if this lackluster bullpen cannot hold a lead.
Strider's return is a breath of fresh air for this mediocre team, but he is not the franchise's panacea.
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Spencer Strider's return will not solve every Atlanta Braves problem
To try put a positive spin on this because this is the team I love and cover the most in baseball — and Strider remains one of the most entertaining pitchers to watch toe the rubber every five days — his return could be akin to what his 2022 arrival was. Along with center fielder Michael Harris II, this team caught fire post-Memorial Day to thwart Sal Licata's beloved New York Mets and their big lead. It was not over ...
Given what he can do on the mound, Strider offers some galvanizing presence that I wish the rest of these overpaid wannabe Atlanta stars could provide Braves Country. He is who he is, and we love him for that. Outspoken, and a bit left of the dial; no wonder I relate to him so much. We could talk about The Strokes' first three albums, only before I grill him on Georgia being so much better than Clemson.
To bring this all back home, having Strider back is fantastic for the Braves, but he may not be the godsend the Atlanta faithful are hoping for. Again, he only pitches every five days. The Braves plays six or seven games a week. If they are lucky, he gets to provide Braves Country with two gems a week. The bats need to come alive and the bullpen needs to find a way to magically get better fast.
Striders' reinsertion into the rotation is a huge deal, but this team is far from ready to be a contender.