Washington Nationals

The Nationals may be in last place in the NL East but they were in the spotlight yesterday when they made Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old slugger, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 amateur draft.

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On Monday, the Washington Nationals will draft Bryce Harper, a “once in a generation” hitting prospect with their first overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft. On Tuesday, Stephen Strasburg, last year’s top pick and a “once in a generation” pitching prospect, will take the mound in his first ever major league game.

To borrow a phrase from former Redskins’ head coach George Allen: "The future is now."

Coming into 2010, the Nationals were the worst team in the league for two seasons running, and it was hard to expect much more this year. They are in last place, once again, sitting 6.5 games out in the tightly competitive NL East.

But the standings don't show the progress. Inept GM Jim Bowden was replaced by the more-ept Mike Rizzo, and the team has started to take shape.

This Year Gives Hope

The wait is over: Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Said to be made from the rib of Nolan Ryan, the 21-year-old Washington Nationals right-hander is already the stuff of legend (or at least 2010 hype), even though his 100 mph fastball has yet to cross a major league plate.

So what should we expect?

Stephen Strasburg was drafted by the Washington Nationals last year with the first pick in the Rule 4 Draft.

Fans, scouts, and players say he has the best stuff they have ever seen. Every eye was on him as he progressed through the Minor Leagues. Some said that he could have just skipped the Minors.

The Washington Nationals made an announcement that Strasburg would be starting on June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

He has the potential to become the next Randy Johnson or Roger Clemens.

I made a promise to myself before the baseball season started that I would attend Stephen Strasburg’s major league where ever it was. Of course I was betting on the fact that there was a 99.9 percent chance that Strasburg would make his debut at home, so a trip from New York to DC was no big deal.

So when Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo announced that Strasburg will make his major league debut on June 8, I immediately got excited. That is until I checked my calendar.

There is a great deal of consternation right now about the Washington Nationals and their offensive struggles.

Everyone had forgotten about J.D. Martin until he took the mound for the Washington Nationals this past weekend. With Scott Olsen’s arm still sore, Martin was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to fill in against the San Diego Padres.

By most measures, Bryce Harper is the pick of the 2010 draft class. He is a multi-tool offensive player that is also believed to be able to play several positions. There is a chance the Pittsburgh Pirates will be able to draft him. There is a larger chance that they won't.

Based on their 2009 records, the Pirates have the second overall draft pick in 2010, with the Washington Nationals coming in first. Washington is believed to prefer Harper, just as it selected Steve Strasburg with last year's first pick.