Spencer Strider isn’t a sociopath.
John Kruk, on the other hand? We aren’t so sure.
The acclaimed NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst for the Philadelphia Phillies is good for an Awful Announcing headline at least once a week. And no, it’s not because he’s awful. Kruk is great content, even if he might have sociopathic tendencies, like wishing (albeit joking) that Tom McCarthy’s New York Mets-broadcaster son choked.
He also tends to get duped from time to time, too.
But Kruk isn’t an old curmudgeon; he’s tired of his elders who still mock mental health. Even if Kruk doesn’t know what empathy means.
Empathy was at the forefront of the Phillies-Braves conversation earlier this week. Strider nailed Bryce Harper with a 95 mph fastball, which caused Philadelphia’s slugger to leave the game and eventually be sidelined with an elbow contusion. It wasn’t intentional. And Strider is remorseful.
“I’m not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy,” Strider said of Harper’s injury. “I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused.”
That earned Strider some brownie points with Kruk.
“I got a lot of respect for Strider after that,” said Kruk. “Wish he wouldn’t have hit Bryce.”
“He said he’s not a sociopath,” McCarthy chimed in. “And he has empathy.”
“Well, not many of us are,” Kruk added. “I don’t know what empathy means, but I’m sure sociopath would come into the conversation speaking about myself.”
John Kruk: “I got a lot of respect for Strider after that. Wish he wouldn’t have hit Bryce.”
Tom McCarthy: “He said he’s not a sociopath. And he has empathy.”
Kruk: “I don’t know what empathy means but I’m sure sociopath would come into the conversation speaking about myself.” https://t.co/jvH1GniQvz pic.twitter.com/43Q9PYYcVj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 29, 2025
So to recap: Spencer Strider isn’t a sociopath, Bryce Harper still has an elbow, and John Kruk may or may not understand what empathy is, but he does respect it. Kind of. Probably.
And if Kruk is a sociopath, he’s our sociopath.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.