The Rode Show: Strider, Carlson Stand Out On The Bump
October 22, 2016
By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor
JUPITER, FL—My second day in Jupiter was spent chasing down arms as pool play continued on Friday. There were a couple loaded time slots today, one of the challenges of this event—seeing one prospect while missing another. Having an army of guys down here helps, so be sure to check out other notebooks with highlights.
I started my Friday with the Royals Scout Team, which had RHP Spencer Strider (Christian Academy of Knoxville, TN) starting on the mound. Strider came out strong, getting two strikeouts and inducing a weak groundout to first inning. He was 92-94 mph to start with occasional downhill angle and pounded the zone. His breaking ball was slurvy at 75-76. He got into some trouble in the second inning, loading the bases on a couple walks and weak single, but managed to escape with a couple strikeouts. He finished with six in three innings of work. Strider, a Clemson recruit, employs a medium leg kick and takes the ball down when breaking his hands. He hides it behind his leg, adding some deception. His command was scattered in that second inning and he tended to leave a lot of fastballs up in the zone.
Here are some more highlights from Friday’s action…