Stephen Strasburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stephen Strasburg |
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Strasburg with the Washington Nationals in 2020
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| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: July 20, 1988 San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| June 8, 2010, for the Washington Nationals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| June 9, 2022, for the Washington Nationals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 113–62 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.24 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 1,723 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Stephen James Strasburg (born July 20, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals. The Nationals picked Strasburg as the very first player in the 2009 MLB draft. He was chosen to be an All-Star three times during his career.
Strasburg was a very talented high school player. He then played college baseball for the San Diego State Aztecs. There, he became one of the best college pitchers in the country. He even played for the United States national baseball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. When he joined MLB in 2010, many experts called him the "most-hyped pick in draft history." His first game in June 2010 was amazing, with 14 strikeouts, a new team record.
Later in his career, Strasburg faced some injuries. He tore a ligament in his pitching elbow, which needed a surgery called Tommy John surgery. After a year of recovery, he returned to play. In 2012, he was back in top form and became an All-Star. In 2019, he had an incredible postseason, winning five games. This tied a record for most wins in a single postseason. He also became the first pitcher in MLB history to win five postseason games without a loss. Strasburg won the World Series MVP award in 2019. He helped lead the Nationals to win the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Stephen Strasburg grew up in Santee, California. He went to West Hills High School. At first, he had a tough time on the school's baseball team. In his junior year, his record was 1 win and 10 losses.
However, in his senior year, he greatly improved. In one game, he struck out 12 batters and only allowed one hit. This caught the attention of scouts. He finished his senior year with a low earned run average (ERA) of 1.68 and 74 strikeouts. He also threw seven complete games. Even with these improvements, he was not chosen in the Major League Baseball draft that year.
College Baseball Journey
Strasburg wanted to go to Stanford University but was not accepted. He chose to attend San Diego State University, where both his parents had studied. He played college baseball for the San Diego State Aztecs. His coach was the famous Baseball Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn.
When Strasburg first arrived at college, he was not in great shape. His conditioning coach even called him "Slothburg." But Strasburg worked very hard to get fit. He lost 30 pounds and became mentally tougher. Coaches would test him by putting him in tough game situations.
Becoming a Star Pitcher
In his first year, Strasburg was a relief pitcher. He later became the team's closer, which is a pitcher who finishes games. He was named Co-Freshman of the Year for his conference. In the summer of 2007, he also played in a college summer league. There, he was named the top professional prospect.
In 2008, Strasburg became a full-time starting pitcher. He had a record of 8 wins and 3 losses, with a 1.58 ERA. He struck out 134 batters in 98 innings. In one game, he set a conference record by striking out 23 batters! His fastball also got much faster, reaching 100 miles per hour.
In his junior year (2009), Strasburg was even better. He finished with 13 wins and only 1 loss, and a 1.32 ERA. He struck out an amazing 195 batters in 109 innings. In his last home game, he threw his first no-hitter and struck out 17 batters. He won two major awards that year: the Dick Howser Trophy and the National Pitcher of the Year Award.
Playing for Team USA
Strasburg was chosen to play for the United States national baseball team in 2008. He played in the World University Baseball Championship, where the U.S. team won the gold medal.
He was the only college player picked for the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In his first Olympic game, Strasburg allowed only one hit in seven innings. He struck out 11 batters. The U.S. team won the bronze medal at the Olympics. Strasburg received the USA Baseball Player of the Year Award in 2008.
Professional Baseball Career
On June 9, 2009, the Washington Nationals picked Strasburg as the first overall player in the MLB draft. On August 17, 2009, he signed a huge four-year contract for $15.1 million with the Nationals. This was a record amount for a draft pick at the time.
Strasburg started his professional career in the minor leagues. Before the 2010 season, Baseball America called him the top pitching prospect. He began in Class AA with the Harrisburg Senators. His first game on April 11, 2010, was a huge event, with about 70 media members watching. He won his first game, striking out eight batters.
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On May 4, 2010, he moved up to Class AAA with the Syracuse Chiefs. His first game there drew 13,766 fans, the most in Syracuse baseball history. He pitched six scoreless innings in that game. He finished his minor league time with a 7–2 record and a 1.30 ERA.
Washington Nationals Debut
Strasburg made his big league debut on June 8, 2010, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Many people called it "the most hyped pitching debut the game has ever seen." Strasburg won his first game. He pitched seven innings, allowed only two runs, and struck out 14 batters. This set a new team record for strikeouts in a single game. He was the first pitcher in history to strike out at least 11 batters without walking any in his first game. He also struck out every player in the Pirates' lineup at least once.
In his second and third MLB games, he struck out 8 and 10 batters. This set a new major league record for the most strikeouts in a pitcher's first three starts, with 32. His jersey, #37, became the best-selling jersey in all of baseball for June 2010. In his first MLB season, Strasburg pitched in 12 games. He had 92 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA.
Injuries and Comebacks
In July 2010, Strasburg had a shoulder injury. He returned in August, but then suffered a torn ligament in his pitching elbow. This injury required Tommy John surgery, which meant 12 to 18 months of recovery.
He began his comeback in August 2011, pitching in minor league rehab games. He returned to the Nationals on September 6, 2011. He pitched 24 innings that year, with a 1.50 ERA.
In 2012, Strasburg made a successful return. He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month in April. He also hit his first career home run in May! In July, he was chosen for his first All-Star Game.
To protect his arm after surgery, the Nationals decided to limit how many innings Strasburg would pitch in 2012. He would not pitch in the playoffs. This decision caused a lot of discussion among fans and experts. Strasburg finished the 2012 season with 15 wins and 6 losses, a 3.16 ERA, and 197 strikeouts. He also won a Silver Slugger Award for his hitting.
Key Seasons and Achievements
In 2013, Strasburg pitched on Opening Day for the Nationals. He threw his first career complete game and shutout on August 11, 2013, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished the year with 8 wins, 9 losses, and 191 strikeouts.
In 2014, Strasburg led the league in strikeouts with 242. This was a career high for him. He also pitched a career-high 215 innings.
Injuries limited Strasburg in 2015, but he still won 11 games. In 2016, he signed a big 7-year contract extension with the Nationals. He started the 2016 season with 12 wins and 0 losses, becoming the first pitcher since 1912 to do so. His winning streak reached 16 games.
In 2017, Strasburg set a team record by pitching 34 consecutive innings without allowing a run. He finished the season with 15 wins and 4 losses, and a low 2.52 ERA.
2019 World Series Champion
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On April 21, 2019, Strasburg became the Nationals' all-time leader in innings pitched. On July 3, he threw an "immaculate inning" against the Miami Marlins. This means he struck out three batters on only nine pitches.
In 2019, Strasburg had 18 wins and 6 losses, with a 3.32 ERA. He led the National League in wins and was second in strikeouts with 251. Both were career highs.
Strasburg was amazing in the 2019 postseason. In the Wild Card Game, he pitched three scoreless innings in relief and earned the win. He helped the Nationals win the World Series against the Houston Astros. He won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award for his great pitching. He finished the playoffs with 5 wins and 0 losses, a 1.98 ERA, and 47 strikeouts.
After the World Series, Strasburg signed a new 7-year, $245 million contract to stay with the Nationals.
Later Career and Retirement
Strasburg faced more injuries in his later career. In the shortened 2020 season, he only pitched in two games due to a nerve issue. In 2021, he made five starts before needing surgery for a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome. This ended his 2021 season.
In 2022, he made only one start before returning to the injured list with a rib injury. He missed the rest of that season. In 2023, he continued to have nerve problems and was unable to play.
On April 6, 2024, Stephen Strasburg officially retired from professional baseball.
Pitching Style
Pitch Repertoire
Strasburg used five main pitches:
- A four-seam fastball, which was his main pitch. It usually went between 95 and 97 miles per hour. Early in his career, it could reach 100 mph.
- A two-seam fastball that was a bit slower, around 94-95 mph.
- A curveball (which he called a "slurve") that was around 80-83 mph.
- A changeup that was 87-90 mph.
- A slider-cutter hybrid pitch, which he started using more in 2016. It moved sideways at 87-91 mph.
Strasburg had a very high strikeout rate. This means he struck out many batters per nine innings. He was known for making batters miss his pitches often.
Mechanics
Early in his career, some experts worried about Strasburg's pitching motion. They thought his delivery put a lot of stress on his arm. This was believed to increase his risk of elbow and shoulder injuries.
In 2014, Strasburg made a small change to his pitching mechanics. He adjusted how he placed his back foot on the pitching mound. He said this change helped improve his balance and timing.
Personal Life
Stephen Strasburg was born in San Diego, California. His father, Jim, was a real estate developer, and his mother, Kathleen, was a dietician. He grew up as a fan of the San Diego Padres.
Strasburg gives credit to his grandmother for helping him with baseball when he was a child. She would often play catch and practice pitching with him. He says she was one of his biggest inspirations.
On January 9, 2010, he married Rachel Lackey. They met when they were students at San Diego State. As of 2024, they have three daughters. The Strasburg family moved to Washington, D.C., in 2018, living close to Nationals Park. In 2024, his family moved back to San Diego.
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Strasburg para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in baseball
- List of San Diego State University people
- List of Washington Nationals team records
- List of World Series starting pitchers
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
