Sports Daily: Penix vs. Pitts

Quick links: Strikeouts spoil Strider’s debut | Hawks draw Heat | Corso calling it a career

KEN WEIGHS IN, PART I

Credit: John Blacker/AP

Credit: John Blacker/AP

With only his 2025 debut to pick apart, we’re a long way away from making definitive judgments about Spencer Strider.

The box score says he did fine — two earned runs allowed over five innings with five strikeouts and one walk. If he finishes his first year back from UCL surgery with a 3.60 ERA, that would be more than acceptable. His career ERA is 3.47.

📈 A few more detailed numbers would say what you might expect − that he’s not all the way back.

He averaged 95.4 mph on his four-seam fastball. He was at 98.2 in 2022 and 97.2 in 2023, when he set the franchise’s single-season strikeout record.

For context, among pitchers who’ve thrown at least 50 four-seam fastballs this season, that ranks 65th, according to Statcast. In 2023, among pitchers who threw at least 1,000 four-seam fastballs, he ranked third.

The swing-and-miss rates were lower than his season averages in 2022 and 2023 and the average exit velocities were higher.

📈 How concerned you want to be is up to you. Strider would not be.

After his second start for Gwinnett on April 4, he said he wasn’t focused on velocity: “I’m not even a year off surgery. I think strikes, endurance, how my body feels, mechanics, just attacking throughout the course of a game, those are the most important things to me right now.”

But it would suggest that it may be a while before we see the dominant Strider we’ve become accustomed to.

Check out this afternoon’s Braves Report newsletter for a closer look at the team’s dismal offensive performances.

KEN WEIGHS IN, PART II

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

I was going to write something about how we ought not put too much faith in any mock draft picks for the Falcons, but I came away with a different conclusion.

Obviously, the Michael Penix Jr. pick last year was a giant surprise. Not many (or maybe anyone) saw the Drake London selection coming in 2022, either. But in reviewing media mock drafts from 2021 and 2023, I was surprised to see a lot of Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson, respectively.

😬 Further, Pitts-to-Falcons was widely praised. Even though it would make Pitts the highest drafted tight end in NFL history, the pundits were on board with the seeming risk. Sports Illustrated called him “the best receiver in this draft class.” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah touted that “Terry Fontenot hits a home run with his first selection as Atlanta’s GM.”

This doesn’t make the Pitts selection a regrettable one after four years. But for those who remember it as a blunder from the start, it’s worth recalling that it seemed an obvious selection to many at the time.

Thanks, Ken! Y’all keep on reading for more sports news.

HAWKS FEEL THE HEAT

The Heat burned the Bulls last night, meaning they’re headed to State Farm Arena for a do-or-die play-in showdown with the Hawks.

Tipoff’s at 7 p.m. Friday on TNT (or get tickets here!). Winner gets a playoff series with top-seeded Cleveland, loser goes home.

🧐 The Hawks and Heat split their season series 2-2. Things broke 1-2 in favor of Miami after Atlanta star Jalen Johnson was lost for the season.

UNITED VS. UNION

How does Atlanta United stack up with this weekend’s opponent, the Philadelphia Union? Our man Doug Roberson crunched the numbers.

🤞 Among them: Philly’s allowed the fourth most shots on goal in MLS this season. So maybe the Five Stripes can even score this time around!

FAREWELL, MY FRIEND

ESPN announced this morning that Lee Corso — the headgear-donning, four-decade fixture on “College GameDay” — is set to retire.

His last broadcast will be Aug. 30, which is Week 1 of the college football slate and not long after his 90th birthday.

🙏 I interviewed Corso when I was in college, when GameDay went to Athens for a top-10 matchup between Georgia and Alabama (not a good result for Mark Richt’s Bulldogs). One of the nicest and most genuinely enthusiastic people I’ve ever met.

He’s an American treasure, and he’ll be missed.

ALSO INTERESTING

😯 East Lake Golf Club scheduled a new tournament for local club pros and instructors. The prize: A record $50K.

⏱️ The NCAA approved a rule change penalizing teams when players fake an injury to try and slow down the opposition. It involves being docked timeouts (and delay-of-game penalties, if necessary).

🤔 Pickleball is evidently all the rage among Major League Baseball players, too.

CAPTION THIS

Credit: Jon Blacker/AP

Credit: Jon Blacker/AP

You know the drill. Come up with your own caption and send ‘er my way. Wrong answers only.

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.