Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg's Triple-A Debut GameThread.

Stephen Strasburg

#37 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-4

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 20, 1988

 

'09 SDSU Stats - (13-1), 1.32 ERA, 15 GS, 2 CG, 109.0 IP, 59 H, 16 ER, 19 BB (1.57 BB/9), 195 K's (16.1K/9). 

AFL Stats - (4-1), 4.26 ERA, 5 GS, 19.0 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR, 7 BB, 23 K's, 1.16 WHIP. 

ST 2010 - (1-0), 2.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 12 K's.

'10 - (Final Double-A Harrisburg) - (3-1), 5 GS, 22.0 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 6 BB (2.45 BB/9), 27 K's (11.05 K/9), 1.64 ERA, 0.86 WHIP. WHIP.

 

The Washington Nationals' '09 no.1 overall draft pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg makes his Triple-A debut tonight for the Syracuse Chiefs at home in Syracuse, New York against the Gwinette Braves, Atlanta's Class-AAA affiliate in the Chiefs' home, Alliance Bank Park in a game which starts at 7:00 pm EST, and can be heard live HERE, but will be rebroadcast on MASN at 10:30 pm EST after the Nationals play the Marlins live in Nationals Park. I'll repost this at the top of the front page as the Strasburg GameThread after the Nats/Fish game...Who's Watching Strasburg?

(ed. note - "After the JUMP, two former major leaguers discuss what to expect from Strasburg once he arrives in DC.")

The MLB Network's daily highlight show, MLB Tonight featured an interview the Network's Dan Plesac conducted with the top pitching prospect in baseball, Stephen Strasburg from the Triple-A home of the Syracuse Chiefs, which served as a nice introduction to anyone who hasn't been following Strasburg from the start (this is not an insult, it's a national broadcast introducing Strasburg, some of us have been obsessing for, uh, years) but the most interesting part of the broadcast took place after the interview when MLB Network analysts and former major leaugers Barry Larkin (who worked for the Nats before the joining the Network) and Billy Ripken offered their opinions on what it's like for hitters to face a talent like Strasburg for the first time: 

Billy Ripken: "I tell you what, Lark. Pitchers always have the advantage. You know when that young guy comes up, when you've got an arm like this (Strasburg highlights), right? He has the advantage on us. Pitcher's meetings, the up-and-in, low-and-away, you'll get us out, right? So when we face this guy, cause this guy's gonna get to the big leagues this year, and somebody's going to get to face him for the first time, we can look at all the comparisons, we can look at the scouting report, I've heard some names thrown out there, like a Kerry Wood, and I think his body type and his two pitches, that fastball and that breaking ball he has are very similar to Kerry Wood's. Can we actually draw off of this? I know you faced Kerry Wood, can we look at a guy and say, you know what, I'm going to recall Kerry Wood here, and I'm going to be OK facing this kid, or is it something, I'm pretty sure I gotta see this dude, you know, and until you see him, you can't necessarily believe what you get?

Barry Larkin: "Well the pitchers do get to see the video, they get the up-and-in, low-and-away, absolutely, but the hitters also get to see the video. And I remember seeing video of Kerry Wood before I had the chance to face him, and the one thing that the video does not show is the power of these pitches, and you can see right there (video of Wood v Larkin) not a real confident swing, because first time facing him, I'm not really sure...You go up there, you got a guy who can throw 100(mph), he's got all the hype, you certainly are thinking, 'Okay, does this kid have the control?', so first of all you're a little uncomfortable, and then all of a sudden he blows that 100mph, 98mph fastball, and you feel the power of the ball hitting that catcher's glove, and you're going, 'Oh my goodness,' and then he breaks off that 12-6 breaking ball, I tell you, the video shows you what he throws, but it really doesn't simulate, or you really can't feel that power..."

Billy Ripken: "Now let me ask you one quick question, can you get him before he gets you? Cause to me, the no.1 (fastball) is the one you want to hit, even though it's electric, I don't think I want to see that one (video of curve)...?

Barry Larkin: "Absolutely. You definitely want to hit the fastball. Tony Perez says all the time, or used to tell me, 'The best breaking ball hitter is the guy doesn't miss the fastball', so hit the fastball, although it is 100 mph."

Billy Ripken: "He's gonna get some big league hitters punching out..."

Big league hitters in June, Triple-A Braves tonight...Strasburg's first Triple-A start, who's going to miss that? Who's Watching The CHIEFS?