Of course, there's also precedent for Strider's dominance in MLB. In his last full season before injury (2023), Strider was a force for the Braves, pitching to a 3.86 ERA over 32 starts, including a whopping 281 strikeouts over 186.2 innings, the most of any pitcher in baseball that year.

The Braves have a deeper rotation than most, led by Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach, a revelation last season as a rookie. But when they activate Strider from the IL, provided the others stay healthy, it has the makings of an elite unit topped by arguably the best 1-2 combination in baseball — Sale and Strider, in either order.

Speaking of Strider, he may be back sooner rather than later after making his Spring Training debut on March 17th, Strider threw nearly 3 shutout innings vs. the Boston Red Sox, Strider had 6 in strikeouts his first start since an elbow injury and surgery in early 2024.