This time last year, I don’t think even Spencer Strider would’ve believed you if you told him just how well 2022 would turn out for the hard-throwing righty.

It’s not that 2021 was a bad big-league debut for the Clemson product. He appeared twice for the Atlanta club, posting a 3.86 ERA over 2 1/3 innings and even picked up a win in his second appearance. Paired with 153 strikeouts in 94 innings across four minor-league levels, it was easy to see why Strider was getting attention coming into Spring Training.

In 2022, Strider had the kind of year you’d be crazy to predict for a rookie, though.

He started the season coming out of the bullpen and amassed a 2.22 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings of relief work. That’s good for 13.7 K/9, and Strider the reliever limited batters to a .478 OPS. While those numbers are incredibly valuable out of the bullpen, with the Braves searching for solutions for their rotation, it’s obvious why fans were clamoring to see Strider get his shot.

He got it on May 30, and he didn’t turn back. He had his first double-digit strikeout game against the Nationals on June 15, fanning 11 in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball that saw him surrender just one hit. In all, he struck out 10 or more batters six times, peaking at 16 – a franchise record – against the Rockies on Sept. 1. That was also his longest start at 8 innings.

When the final tallies came in, Strider was the fastest player in major-league history to record 200 strikeouts when he did so in just 130 innings. He also finished just outside the top 10 in strikeouts in the majors for the season, despite recording significantly fewer innings than most of his competitors. The now-24-year-old also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to teammate Michael Harris II.

On the business side of things, Strider also had a very productive year. On October 10, he signed a six-year, $75 million contract with an option for a seventh year that will keep him in Atlanta through at least 2028.

Yet with all that, there’s still some meat on the bone for Strider, so to speak.

After injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited his work in college, the 96.1 innings he threw in 2021 were far and away the most innings he had ever pitched. So the Braves were lucky to get the 131 2/3 innings they got out of the rookie flamethrower before he had to be shut down with an oblique strain after his September 18 start.

He came back for a start in Game 3 of the NLDS against Philadelphia, but it was clear the injury was still bothering him. Strider allowed five runs on three hits and two walks in just 2 1/3 innings, just a few weeks removed from fanning 10 Phillies in six innings of one-run ball in his final regular season start.

So despite posting a 2.67 ERA and an eye-popping 13.8 K/9 rate – numbers that would easily have him in the Cy Young conversation if sustained over a whole year – Strider likely finished the year with a bad taste in his mouth. He’ll spend the entire offseason preparing his body for a full season as a starting pitcher on a major-league ball club.

And I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.