No one on this list entered their professional career with as much hype as this guy. Think back to when Lebron James was a junior at St. Mary's high school and was already being touted as the next Michael Jordan. Strasburg was not quite that hyped, but part of that is because baseball doesn't get the national media attention that it once did. Needless to say, the young flame thrower's beginnings were not short on hyperbole. Many scouts were on record saying that he was 'the best amateur pitcher they've ever witnessed', or that he was 'the most hyped prospect in the history of baseball'. Whatever it was baseball fans couldn't wait to get a glimpse of him.
Strasburg was very different from James in one regard - he was much more of a late bloomer. He was a bit of a pudgy kid entering his first year at San Diego State University, and didn't really garner much national attention until his sophomore season in which he struck out more than 130 batters in just 98 innings. By then his fastball was becoming the stuff of legend and he was developing his off-speed stuff to go with it. As a Junior he eclipsed 100 innings and struck out a whopping 195 hitters, including 17 in a no-hitter against Air Force. In a short span he had gone from virtual unknown to an absolute lock for the #1 selection in 2009. He also helped USA earn a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics.
The #1 pick fell into the laps of the lowly Nationals who immediately made Strasburg their #1 draft choice. Being represented by super-agent Scott Boras, the negotiations of his contract would not be easy, however. He held out until the very last minute, signing a record $15.1 million dollar contract - much lower than the fifty some million that some were projecting.
Despite rumblings from some in the media that he should head straight to the majors, the Nationals decided to handle Strasburg with kiddie gloves. He began his pro career at AA Harrisburg. His debut was so hyped that ESPN broadcast some of the game and there were more than 70 credentialed media in attendance. (If I had to venture a guess at the average Harrisburg media count I would put it somewhere around half a dozen.) He won that game striking out 8 and consistently rocked the radar gun in the upper 90s.
Last June 8, Strasburg made his big-league debut in what Sports Illustrated referred to as the most hyped pitching performance the game has ever seen. He did not disappoint the sell-out crowd, fanning 14 of the pathetic Pirates and pitching 7 solid innings for the win. His 14 Ks were a new franchise record, and he was the first MLB pitcher to have that many in his pro debut. On that night he also touched 100 mph on the gun twice.
Sadly, his 2010 season was cut short and he will miss all of 2011 since undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair damage to his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. Nonetheless, his 2010 campaign was not altogether disappointing. 68 IP, 92 K, 2.91 ERA and he was named to the All-Rookie team.
Despite his thus far short-lived MLB career, Strasburg has enough hype and has shown enough flashes of brilliance to land in the top 15 on this list. His accomplishments may not be long but his star power sure shines bright. Only time will tell if he is able to bounce back and build on his budding legacy to become an all-time great. At the tender age of 22 he does have time on his side. One thing that may hold him back will be pitching for Washington. Hopefully, ownership there has the smarts to realize they have a once in a generation talent that fans want to see and take the right steps to building a contender around him. They've started that process by showing they are willing to spend on free agents, now they have to show they're capable of spending wisely.
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