Stephen Strasburg
From BR Bullpen
Stephen James Strasburg
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 4", Weight 220 lb.
- School San Diego State University
- Debut June 8, 2010
- Born July 20, 1988 in San Diego, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Stephen Strasburg is arguably the most celebrated young pitcher to enter the major league scene since Texas's David Clyde back in 1973. Surprisingly, he was not a top-rated prospect coming out of high school, but became an amateur sensation while attending San Diego State University. Strasburg was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft and was the lone amateur on the US Olympic team in 2008.
Strasburg was 1-0 in the 2008 World University Championship, allowing only 2 hits and no runs in 14 innings, walking 3 and whiffing 22. He led the event in strikeouts, 4 ahead of Yuki Saito, and helped the US win Gold. He also pitched the most innings of anyone who did not allow an earned run.
Strasburg was the only amateur chosen for Team USA for the 2008 Olympics. He shut down the Dutch national team to one hit (a Sharnol Adriana single) and one walk in 7 innings while fanning 11 in a win. He was less effective in the semifinals, allowing 2 runs in the third inning to the Cuban national team and a solo homer to Alfredo Despaigne in the 4th en route to a loss to Norge Vera. The US finished with Bronze. Strasburg was 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in Beijing, striking out 16 in 11 innings.
Strasburg was reportedly signed by scout Mark Baca for four years and $15.1 million with the Washington Nationals in 2009, after being picked first overall in the amateur draft. Represented by super agent Scott Boras, he stretched negotiations to the very limit before signing for the record bonus.
He impressed all observers during the Nationals' spring training in 2010, but the team's top brass did not want to have him start his pro career straight in the major leagues, so he went to the minors to start the season. In his pro debut for the AA Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League, he struck out eight in five innings on April 11 and hit 100 mph on the radar gun. He allowed four runs, but only one of them was earned, on a first-inning double by Alex Presley and single by Miles Durham. He also doubled in a run while facing Rudy Owens. After the game, Strasburg joked "I'm going to call [college coach Tony] Gwynn up tomorrow and let him have it" for not having Stephen bat during his collegiate career. He dominated competition in both AA and AAA over the first two months of the season, and it was clearly just a matter of time before he would pitch in the big leagues.
Strasburg was called up by the Nationals in June 2010 and made his big league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 8th amidst a media frenzy. In 7 innings, he struck out 14, one shy of the record for a debut, set by J.R. Richard and Karl Spooner. He walked none and allowed four hits, including a 2-run homer by Delwyn Young, in a win against Jeff Karstens. In his next start against the Cleveland Indians on June 13, Strasburg struck out 8 batters in 5 1/3 innings in picking up another win, giving him 22 Ks for the first 12 1/3 innings of his major league career. He also issued his first 5 walks and gave up another homer for the lone run he allowed, a solo shot by Travis Hafner. He was named the National League's Player of the Week in recognition of his two excellent starts. In his third game, on June 18 facing the Chicago White Sox, he struck out 10 more batters to set a record with 32 over his first three starts; the previous mark had been held by Richard with 29. He was not involved in the decision as the Nats lost 2-1, in 11 innings. He suffered his first loss on June 23 in spite of another dominant start against the Kansas City Royals in which he gave up only one run and struck out 9 batters in 6 innings, but lost 1-0. He got his first major league hit off winner Brian Bannister and after the game, his K/W ratio stood at 41-5. His 41 strikeouts beat the 40 recorded by Herb Score in 1955 for most by a pitcher in his first 4 career starts.
On July 27, he was scratched out of a scheduled start because of shoulder tightness; the Nationals announced immediately that he would undergo an MRI. He returned to action shortly thereafter, but on August 21, he left a game in the 5th inning with a strained tendon in his right forearm, leading to another MRI and his being placed on the disabled list. The MRI uncovered a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, meaning that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery and likely miss a year of action. For the year, he went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts and was named to the 2010 Topps All-Star Rookie Team in spite of his shortened season, the voters having felt that he had displayed enough brilliance in his short stint in the majors to earn the honor.
The surgery was performed on September 3rd, and, on schedule, he began throwing off a mound for the first time in a bullpen session on May 23rd the following year, with the target of being back in the majors at the start of the 2012 season. That said, his recovery from the surgery was remarkably fast, as the Nats scheduled him for a first rehabilitation appearance with the Class A Hagerstown Suns on August 7th, setting him up for a potential return to the major leagues in September - six months ahead of schedule. He only threw 31 pitches in his return to the mound against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, striking out 4 in 1 2/3 innings; both his control and velocity were excellent. After four starts in Class A, during which he went 0-1, 6.75, he moved up to AAA Syracuse on August 27th and showed some of the previous year's flash, pitching 5 perfect innings against the Rochester Red Wings while consistently throwing his fastball in the mid-90s before giving up a one-out single to Steve Holm in the 6th inning. He was then removed from the game, having reached his pitch count limit. He made his return to the major leagues on September 6th, pitching 5 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers; he left with a 3-0 lead, but his teammates were unable to hold it, losing 7-3. He capped a remarkable comeback season by earning his only big league win of the year on the season's last day, September 28th, when he shut out the Florida Marlins for 6 innings while striking out 10. His teammates then managed to keep the lead and won the game, 3-1, in the last game played by the Marlins under the "Florida" moniker, and the last game in Sun Life Stadium.
He was healthy when he showed up for spring training with the Nationals in 2012, but manager Davey Johnson indicated that he would limit his innings to around 150-160, following a path set the previous year for teammate Jordan Zimmermann. However, that did not prevent the Nats from handing him the assignment as the Opening Day starter for the first time of his career. He won his first game of the season on April 11th, defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field on the 50th anniversary of the team's first game; he pitched 6 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win, throwing a career-high 108 pitches. He then capped an excellent first month by winning the National League's Pitcher of the Month honors. He was 2-0, 1.13 while leading the circuit with 34 strikeouts; he allowed 4 earned runs all month over 5 starts, all of which were quality starts. He hit his first major league home run on May 20th at Nationals Park, driving a pitch from the Baltimore Orioles' Wei-Yin Chen into the left field bullpen, immediately following a homer by catcher Jesus Flores. He left that game after only five innings, complaining of arm fatigue, but still was credited with his team's 9-3 win.
