Braves to atlanta braves hank aaron jersey deploy new weapon Strider in World Series rematch

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

In 2021, the Braves beat the Astros in the championship series. In 2022, they have arguably an even-better team, in large part due to the fabulous right arm of Spencer Strider. The rookie now has 3.2 fWAR and a video-game-esque 73 ERA-/51 FIP-/63 xFIP- line. He’s put up the same dominant numbers he was throwing together in relief as a starter that generally works into the third time through the order, and has shown an ability to get by even when he’s not striking everyone out. Case in point: his most atlanta braves shirt near me recent start against the Mets, where he stifled them with “just” a 4/1 K/BB ratio.

The Astros will be an interesting test for Strider, because they have a low strikeout rate and generally prioritize contact. Is that going atlanta braves merchandise to cause problems for his approach? Stay tuned and find out.

Opposing Strider will be a name not unfamiliar to Braves fans — but one that didn’t start for Houston in the World Series last year: Cristian Javier. The 25-year-old righty made six relief appearances for the Astros in the atlanta braves jersey dress postseason, with three of them coming in the World Series against the Braves. His claim to fame (if you’re a Braves fan) or ignominy (if you’re an Astros fan) was the seventh inning of Game 4: with the Astros holding a 2-1 lead, he struck out Adam Duvall, and then allowed back-to-back homers to Dansby SwansonMLB Pet Gear (tying the game) and Jorge Soler (giving up the tie). The Braves won that game to take a 3-1 lead in the series, and Javier allowed two more runs in the Braves’ Game 6 7-0 romp to clinch the title.

This season, though, Javier’s found another gear. He was a generic swingman last year, but on the back of a ton of strikeouts and some favorable HR/FB variation, has 2.1 fWAR in just 106 ¹⁄₃ innings (78/85/94). Javier’s arsenal Tim Andersonis kind of hard to describe. He mostly throws a four-seamer that lacks velocity or command, but seems to have the right amount of rise and approach angle to get a bunch of whiffs and pop-ups. He pairs that with a bizarre slider — one whose job it is to be thrown in the zone — which gets even more whiffs, and forces even more pop-ups, than the fastball. It’ll be interestREEFing to see what the Braves do against Javier in a scenario where they’ll get to face him, most likely, two or three times in a night. It could go very poorly, with a bunch of whiffs combining with weakly-hit flies to bamboozle the Atlanta bats… or it could go very profitably, given that the Braves are far-and-away the best team at hitting pitches in the zone, including being first on four-seamers and second on sliders, so long as they’re rulebook strikes.

Game Info

Houston Astros @ Atlanta Braves

Saturday, August 20, 2022

7:15 pm EDT

Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: FOX

Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan

XM Radio: Ch. 178