Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg made his spring training debut Tuesday in a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Viera, Fla.
Strasburg, who was selected by the Nationals with the No. 1 overall pick out of San Diego State University in the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, fanned two batters in two scoreless innings before the was relieved.
Despite his solid statistics, the former Aztecs standout struggled a tad with his command.
In total, Strasburg managed to throw only 15 of his 27 pitches for strikes.
“Command really wasn’t there, but I think a lot of that had to do with the adrenaline going on,” said Strasburg, 21, who signed a record four-year contract worth $15.1 million with Washington this past August. “It’s something that happens to me every time–even in college, even in high school. That first outing, there’s all this excitement and it’s really difficult to control the adrenaline and make sure you’re staying nice and relaxed.”
Regardless of the control issues he experienced, it is evident that Strasburg is a burgeoning superstar.
The native of San Diego had his fastball consistently clocked in the 97-98 mph range and his curveball was measured between 79 and 81 mph.
“I just wanted to go out there and throw strikes,” said Strasburg, who tossed a no-hitter and whiffed 17 batters in his final collegiate home start against the Air Force last May. “If they hit it, they hit it. Big deal. I have enough confidence in my stuff that if I can go out there and make them put the ball in play, I’ve got a great defense behind me that’s going to back me up.”
Primarily because the Nationals are such a horrid organization, Strasburg likely won’t emerge with more than 15 victories on the hill this season.
Nevertheless, the 2009 College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year winner will ultimately be one of the best hurlers in the entire sport during his rookie campaign.
Granted, highly-touted prospects like Strasburg have often floundered in the face of tremendous expectations.
Still, Strasburg is simply too skilled to not immediately thrive on the major league level.
Barring an unforeseen occurrence, Stephen Strasburg will be a participant in the 2010 All-Star Game this July at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
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