Former Clemson pitcher the favorite to win Rookie of the Year

CLEMSON — Atlanta Braves rookie Spencer Strider has quickly turned into a dominant force on the mound in Major League Baseball.

The former Clemson righty has been nearly unhittable early on in his MLB career and already has 110 strikeouts in only 70 1/3 innings pitched in 2022.

For the season, Strider is 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 20 appearances, with nine starts. He has a WHIP of 1.02 and is currently the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Strider is currently at +200 to win Rookie of the Year, according to VegasInsider. Fellow Braves rookie Michael Harris has the second-best odds at +300.

Joining those two in the top five best odds are Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (+550), Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (+1000) and Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (+1400).

Spencer Strider’s impressive start to his MLB career has been somewhat surprising but not completely unexpected.

He had solid numbers during his time at Clemson but also ran into some tough luck.

Strider was named a freshman All-American in 2018 for the Tigers after going 5-2 with a 4.76 ERA. He struck out 70 batters in 51 innings pitched but also had 35 walks.

Unfortunately for Strider and Clemson, he was unable to build off of his strong freshman season. Strider suffered an arm injury in January of 2019 and missed his entire sophomore year.

Strider got off to a strong start for the Tigers in 2020, but the year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He ended up being drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB draft by Atlanta and signed with the Braves shortly thereafter.

Strider finished his time at Clemson with a 5-2 record and a 4.71 ERA. He had 89 strikeouts and 38 walks over 63 innings pitched.

Strider appeared in 26 games for the Tigers, making 10 starts.