For openers, Phils to face Braves’ Strider

NORTH PORT, FLA. » On what became the Braves’ final game of last season, Spencer Strider had the ball in his hand at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He fought valiantly, but his team came up short, which drove him throughout the offseason and into spring training.

It is only fitting, then, that the 2024 season will begin with him taking the ball in the exact same place where his last season ended.

Strider will start the Braves’ opening-day game March 28 versus the Phillies — his first career opening-day start. Max Fried started the previous three season openers for the Braves, who now turn to their second ace.

Strider will face Zack Wheeler, who was announced as Philadelphia’s opening-day starter. Wheeler will hurl the first pitches of a game that is scheduled to begin at 3:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.

The Braves couldn’t have gone wrong with this decision. Fried is lined up to start the second game of the season, presumably versus Aaron Nola.

For Strider, this nod, given by manager Brian Snitker, is well-deserved. Not only did he have a great 2023 season, but it also feels like he set the tone for this season — with his offseason work, with his “World Series or bust” candor and more.

He pitched brilliantly in his two postseason starts in October, but because the Braves were eliminated far too early, he centered his offseason on a question: How could he improve? The results — those losses — told him he needed to get better, so he took the challenge.

Over the offseason, he reincorporated a curveball into his repertoire. He trained harder than ever because he wanted an honest spring training evaluation — in his eyes, how could he know where he was at if he wasn’t in midseason form physically when he pitched? His desire to win a World Series has driven everything he’s done.

There seems to be an idea among some fans that starting Strider on opening day means the Braves have accepted that they will lose Fried in free agency or that they’ve spurned Fried. This isn’t the case.

The pitchers’ performances last season probably factored into the decision. In that way, Strider was the clear choice.

Fried was terrific when he pitched, but made only 14 starts. Strider posted a 3.86 ERA over 186.2 innings. He struck out 281 batters, a Braves single-season record. Then he started Game 1 of the postseason versus the Phillies. He finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting.

If Fried doesn’t return, this season could start a string of opening-day starts for Strider. Already one of the game’s top pitchers, the 25-year-old Strider is signed through at least 2028.

In the regular season, Strider is 8-0 against the Phillies with a 1.90 ERA. In 47.1 innings, he has 72 strikeouts against them.

In a 2022 postseason start against them, he struggled. But he excelled in both playoff starts versus Philadelphia in October, even if the Braves lost both games.

On Oct. 12 in Philadelphia, fans mockingly chanted Strider’s name before the game. They wanted to intimidate him.

He pitched well — well enough to win, but the Braves’ offense never woke up. And because the Braves lost, Strider went into the offseason with even more motivation.

Front and center this spring, Strider has been honest about how the Braves have a “World Series or bust” mindset this season. The Braves, he has said, should not be afraid to say this.

And because of that, there’s no one better to begin this journey than Strider, who has earned this opportunity.