Strasburg: Instant Superstar or Scherzer Sequel?

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:17:11 +0000

Ninety-four pitches is all it took for Stephen Strasburg to turn in one of the most high pressure pitching debuts in the history of Major League Baseball. Strasburg missed Pittsburgh bats left and right fanning 14 batters in just 7 innings on his way to his first career win. Even more impressive, he seemed to heat up as the game carried on, striking out the last 6 batters he faced. Perhaps equally encouraging for Washington fans, and almost unheard of for a first time pitcher, was the zero walks issued by Strasburg. A lone 2 run homer by Delwyn Young was the lone blemish on what would’ve been a clean sheet, but the young fellow responded with the poise of veteran, retiring the next 10 players to step to the plate.So, now a few weeks into his career, how great was his opening act and how bright is Strasburg’s future? The performance in and of itself was no less than legendary, but those calling for a Cooperstown career shouldn’t be so certain just yet. Not to take away from Strasburg or discredit what was an outing that will go down in baseball history, but he isn’t the first young pitcher to burst onto the scene with an awe-inspiring introductory game. In 2008, former 11^th overall pick Max Scherzer made his major league debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks while on the road against the Houston Astros. Coming out of the bullpen, Scherzer pitched a perfect 4 and 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or walk. At one point, he retired 13 consecutive hitters (still the high mark for a debut game) on his way to racking up 7 Ks. Starting out as a reliever, Scherzer was no doubt under less scrutiny than Strasburg, but the on-field portion of his performance stands up to that of the celebrated rookie sensation. For the record, now in his 3^rd year of service, Max Scherzer currently has a less than stellar 12-21 career record with a 4.37 ERA. This season his ERA has ballooned to 6.14 on the way to a 3-6 start. Not to say the fire-baller won’t be one of the better pitchers in the league one day (already boasting his own 14 K game last month), but so far Scherzer has learned it’s a long road to stardom.Scouts have hyped the National’s new guy as arguably the greatest pitching prospect of all time. Analysts across the airwaves are singing his praises, and rightfully so, but bear in mind we are still only 2 games into what will hopefully be a long major league career. When he takes the mound Friday, let Strasburg continue to earn his big league reputation, pitch by pitch, before listing among the all-time greats.

Hope in Washington

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:01:31 +0000

Amidoil spills, natural disasters and turmoil abroad, we are quickly approaching a day in our nation’s capital when the eyes and attention of both left and right leaning voters will lie on the right arm of a 21-year-old kid. Stephen Strasburg is no prophet with answers to the world’s most pressing issues, but is viewed by many scouts and GM’s as a baseball messiah of sorts, sent from his heavenly hometown of sunny San Diego to resurrect a Washington Nationals team that has been mostly lifeless since their days of exile in Montreal. Strasburg has flown through the Nationals minor league system with a speed that usually eludes D.C.’s decision makers, making only brief pit stops in Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse before getting the called to the show. To the surprise of few and excitement of many in Washington, Strasburg was barely touched by lower league hitters, finishing his minor league career with an impressive 7-2 record , 1.30 ERA and miniscule .80 WHIP. He added 65 strikeouts to his stat sheet in only 55 and 1/3 innings of work.While Strasburg was seemingly anointed as the best player in the draft class, prior to last year’s MLB Entry Draft, he will still face an uphill battle to take home the league’s Rookie of the Year award. Working with a 2 and a half month advantage, incumbent candidate Mike Leake, right hander for the Cincinnati Reds is off to a stellar start in the majors with a 5-0 record and 2.22 ERA. Even were Strasburg to come out and live up the enormous billing he has had thus far, such numbers are simply hard to come by for a first year player. Leake, though less heralded as a cant miss prospect in preseason hype, was taken just 7 spots behind Strasburg in last year’s draft at 8^th overall, so his early season success should come as no surprise.

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Strasburg: Instant Superstar or Scherzer Sequel?

Hope in Washington