The next few days could transform the Washington Nationals into a contender.
Stephen Strasburg makes his major league debut on Tuesday with the most anticipation of any local player since 2001 when Michael Jordan joined the Washington Wizards. Strasburg’s supposed to be the second coming of “The Big Train.” Nats fans will settle for a little caboose.
But first, Washington picks No. 1 in the MLB Draft on Monday. It’s supposed to be catcher Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old phenom who could be the next Johnny Bench.
Strasburg-Harper could be an unbeatable battery for the next decade. They’re two phenoms that can lift a team already flirting with .500 after consecutive 100-plus loss seasons. That Washington has become a fair team even before these two arrive is encouraging, but give it another year or two and they may make the difference in becoming a playoff contender.
The miserable Nats playing beyond Memorial Day for something, much less Labor Day, is what baseball fans have awaited since the team’s 2005 arrival. Too bad it has been one sad sack of a team.
But that’s in the past. The next few days will set up the next few years and make baseball relevant in the nation’s capital once more.
Harper could ultimately have more influence given he’s an everyday player versus a pitcher who toes the mound every five days. Even a 20-game winner is only roughly one-fifth of the wins needed to win a title. That’s not knocking a 20-gamer, just saying it’s not the same as someone with 40 homers and 100 RBIs. Combine those numbers with Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman and the middle of the Nats lineup becomes as tough as anyone’s.
But Strasburg is the immediate focus. He did everything asked during two months in the minors. Yet let’s see what happens in the majors before invoking Walter Johnson’s name. And let’s see what happens after a few starts when opponents have watched film and get a second and third live look at him.
Strasburg may indeed become a superstar, but earn it first before making him the biggest star in town. Let Strasburg mow down the St. Louis lineup on a hot August night and handcuff Atlanta and Philadelphia in September when those teams are fighting for the division. Let’s see how he recovers after getting rocked harder than an AC/DC concert.
It has been easy for Strasburg so far. And, maybe it will continue to be. The next few days will be exciting for Nats fans. Hopefully, it’s just the beginning.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
