Phenom to make his second start Sunday
The Nationals got their first glimpse of top prospect Stephen Strasburg last Tuesday and no one in the organization was surprised by what they saw.
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A blazing fastball that regularly hit 97 mph. Biting breaking balls. The raw stuff that makes up Strasburg’s pitching repertoire was as advertised.
As long as the weather holds in Florida this weekend — no sure thing, apparently, after a few recent rainouts — Washington will get another chance to see Strasburg pitch. This time it will likely be for more than the two innings he tossed against the visiting Detroit Tigers in Viera last week. The Nats are set to host the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday with Strasburg on the mound.
It appears obvious Strasburg will begin the season in the minor leagues — most likely with the Single-A Potomac Nationals, who play in nearby Woodbridge, Va. Keeping the 21-year-old phenom in the minors for about two months means his six-year service clock won’t start until next April.
That gives Washington an extra season before Strasburg can hit the open market as a free agent. That bonus time is a must for a player expected to develop into one of baseball’s best pitchers — especially since Washington isn’t likely to contend this season anyway. The Nats already underwent a grueling negotiation with Strasburg’s agent, Scott Boras, last summer. Holding off on another one until after the 2016 season would be prudent.
“I still think there’s lessons you have to learn,” said Hall-of-Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn, Strasburg’s baseball coach at San Diego State, last summer. “You have to go through some adversity — and, quite frankly, he hasn’t had to face a whole lot here in the last couple of years. You have to take your lumps in order to be a major-league pitcher. … But he’ll be a willing pupil. He’ll learn that and he’ll have success.”
Strasburg pitched two scoreless innings against the Tigers on Tuesday. He induced three ground outs during the first inning. In the second he gave up a pair of singles. But Strasburg then snapped off a devastating curveball that froze Brent Dlugach for a called strike three.
“[Strasburg] was great,” catcher Wil Nieves told MASN, the team’s television network. “I was surprised he was that calm. He doesn’t let all the stuff going around him get into his head at all. He’s going to be a great pitcher if he stays healthy. We’re praying for him.”
Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s Major League Baseball draft, signed a $15.1 million, four-year contract with the Nats — just minutes before the negotiating deadline last Aug. 17. His story is well documented. Undrafted out of high school, Strasburg worked himself into shape at San Diego State and, after one year as a relief pitcher, quickly blossomed as a sophomore pitcher. He was the lone college player to make the United States baseball team that competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
