Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider, known for being his own toughest critic, had plenty to be frustrated about Tuesday night after the Mets lit him up in a blowout loss. Strider gave up eight runs in just four innings—one of the worst outings of his career.
After the game, Strider didn’t make excuses. He admitted his pitches had better quality than in his previous start but acknowledged making too many mistakes in key counts. He also said it’s on him to make changes because his current approach isn’t working.
Still, Strider hinted that the Mets—and possibly other teams—might be picking up on signs that he’s tipping his pitches. While he couldn’t identify a specific tell, the numbers supported the idea: the Mets swung 43 times and missed only seven, despite facing his 96–98 mph fastball, and their contact quality was consistently high.
Strider made it clear he wasn’t accusing anyone of cheating—if a pitcher tips pitches, it’s fair game for hitters to take advantage. But he admitted, “They might be picking up on something… sequencing or … I don’t know. Obviously my stuff’s not exactly the same as it has been in years past.”
Ultimately, Strider stressed that the responsibility falls on him. If hitters are getting such good looks, his stuff needs to be better regardless of what they know ahead of time. The Braves hope that their new rotation schedule, which gives him extra rest, will help him turn things around before the final stretch of the season becomes even rougher.