Spencer Strider's breaking pitches have been nigh-unhittable so far

Spencer Strider’s four-seam fastball velocity has dropped to the 96–97 mph range across three 2026 starts, suggesting the earlier 100-mph form is not currently present. Despite that, his breaking balls show encouraging signs. In a walk-off win over the Red Sox, Strider allowed one run on three hits and three walks over 5.1 innings, striking out four. A key moment came in the fifth inning when Ceddane Rafaela led off with a ground-rule double off a curveball, the first hit in 2026 against Strider’s curveball. Only one hit has come after non-fastball pitches across 14.2 innings, and opponents have not recorded any hits against his slider or changeup, with batting averages against those pitches at .000.

"Strider has made three starts so far to get his 2026 season going and so far, he's been sitting in the range of 96-97 mph when it comes to his four-seam fastball. Indeed, it's looking like the version of Strider who could simply blow away other hitters while touching 100-mph on the radar gun is firmly in the rear-view mirror at this point."

"During Friday's walk-off win over the Red Sox, Strider finished with 5.1 innings under his belt and just one run allowed on three hits and three walks. He also struck out four batters but I'm not here to talk about the strikeouts. I'm actually here to talk about the hits. One hit in particular stood out."

"In the fifth inning, Ceddane Rafaela led things off by hitting a ground rule double. While a ground rule double itself isn't shocking, the fact that Rafaela got a hit in itself was shocking. It isn't because of anything that has to do with him it has to do with the pitch that he got the hit off of. It was a curveball. That was the first time in 2026 where an opposing hitter got a hit off of a curveball from Spencer Strider."

"Not only that, it was the first time that anybody has gotten a hit off of Strider on anything but his fastball. Indeed, Strider has given up eight hits over 14.2 innings pitched so far and only one of those hits came after Strider threw anything but a fastball. In fact, opposing hitters still have yet to hit his slider or his changeup, either. He's through three starts now and the Batting Average against his slider and changeup is still at .000."

Read at Battery Power