Strasburg: After Debut?

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Strasburg: After Debut?

The No. 1 pick in the MLB draft made his spring debut on March 9 for the Washington Nationals – and got national attention. Stephen Strasbug pitched only two innings of the Nats game versus the Detriot Tigers, but impressed everyone. For a team that lost 103 games last year, and has gone 0-7 in the spring, his introduction to the Majors was highly anticipated.


Boasting two scoreless innings, two strikeouts and a couple of a singles, the 21-year-old from San Diego lived up to his hype. The contract he was awarded by the Nationals was one of the largest ever, and many were concerned such a young player could not handle the pressure, let alone perform to Major League standards. But in his first outing against Major League hitters, Strasburg made the deal look well worth it.

One of those hitters he faced, Miguel Cabrera, said of Strasburg’s stuff, “When he throws the ball, it’s like an explosion.”

The Nationals have previously signed a No. 1 pick in their third-basemen Ryan Zimmerman, who at the time, was just a little younger than the right-handed pitcher.

Now the Nationals are faced with the dilemma of where to place Strasburg. Normally, the plan would be to put him in the Minors to prepare, but they were encouraged by his performance, leaving it up for debate. Speculation has begun on how long he spent there – if any time at all.

The question lies in the fact that he may not be ready for the pressures of regular season Major League baseball. The Nationals run the risk of turning him into a spectacle, and threatening his talent by bringing him up so soon. There is always a delicate balance between hyped-up players and successful ones; it’s just how the team chooses to handle them. Only time will tell how Strasburg will fare, but if his spring training debut is any indication, the Nationals have scored an ace.

-Mia SpadoniTweet