Nationals fans were in for a treat when the most hyped pitching prospect in a generation made his debut
Stephen Strasburg was the greatest pitching prospect of all time. He was described in his Baseball America scouting report as a “once in a generation phenom”. Strasburg had everything a scout could possibly want in a pitcher. The 6’5 220 pound right hander boasted a 100 MPH fastball, with a plus-plus curveball, and a plus changeup. To make it even more ridiculous he had plus command and strike-throwing ability as well.
The Nationals drafted this force of nature with the first pick of the 2009 draft. Strasburg gave Nationals fans something to dream on in the midst of a rebuild. As expected, Strasburg cruised through the Minor Leagues. He was in the MLB a year after he was drafted.
June 8th, 2010 was the highly anticipated day where the phenom made his debut against the Pirates. In front of a sold out Nationals Park, the 21 year old super prospect toed the rubber for the first time. Nationals fans dubbed the day ‘Strasmas’. The eyes of the baseball world laid directly on Washington, DC.
The young man with the world at his feet would not disappoint. After two quick outs, Strasburg overwhelmed former National Lastings Milledge on three pitches for his first strikeout. This sent the crowd into a state of euphoria normally reserved for playoff games.
As if the script was not perfect enough, the Nationals other young star Ryan Zimmerman homered in the first inning to give Strasburg run support. Strasburg would not need a lot of support, as outside of a shaky 4th inning where he gave up a two run homer, he was unbelievable.
He was throwing 100 MPH effortlessly, and his breaking pitches had movement that seemed like it broke the laws of physics. After that fourth inning, Strasburg’s debut went from very good to legendary.
Strasburg struck out 8 of the last 9 batters he faced, looking absolutely otherworldly. He kept getting stronger and stronger, throwing harder and harder. He was already one of the best pitchers in the world. On that June night, Strasburg went seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out 14. He also did not walk anyone.
The rest of Strasburg’s career was a bit more complicated. There were ups and downs, but he was still a fabulous pitcher. If you go off his scouting report, which said anything less than a Cy Young win was disappointing, then maybe Strasburg was a disappointment. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2010, Strasburg was almost always dealing with some sort of nagging ailment.
He had two top five Cy Young finishes, and only made three all star games. His seven-year $245 million deal is one of the worst in sports history. Strasburg’s body had failed him by then. He only made eight starts during that contract.
However, I think it would be harsh to call Strasburg a disappointment. He was one of the better pitchers in baseball throughout the 2010’s. Strasburg and Scherzer was a dominant 1-2 punch. With a career ERA of 3.24, Strasburg was consistently excellent when he was on the mound.
The regular season only tells half the story. Outside of Madison Bumgarner, Strasburg was the best playoff pitcher of his generation. After being held out of the playoffs in 2012 due to the infamous shutdown, Strasburg always stepped up when his team needed him most.
In game 4 of the 2017 NLDS, with the Nats season on the line, Strasburg took the mound despite battling the flu. He was brilliant, throwing seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts. Despite losing the series, Strasburg’s performance was memorable.
This pales in comparison to his efforts in 2019. Strasburg was the world series MVP, and put up video game numbers. He went 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 36.1 innings, with 47 strikeouts to 4 walks. Once again, he was at his best when the Nats needed him most. With the season on the line in game 6, Strasburg went 8.1 innings against the Astros lineup, which was one of the best in the last 20 years. He sent the Nats to game 7, and we know what happened from there.
Stephen Strasburg came with as much hype as any prospect in recent memory. That hype train only accelerated after his insane debut. You can argue until the cows come home about whether he lived up to the hype. One thing that you cannot argue is that Stephen Strasburg is a Nationals legend.