Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg was a rare case in that his talent but also his representation by super agent Scott Boras netted him a ton of guaranteed money before he played one inning of professional baseball. Strasburg would receive a 4 year, $15.1 million dollar deal that would go on to be the new record for guaranteed money for an amateur prospect.
The thing about Strasburg was looking at his potential, this money was a drop in that hat for what would surely come over the next few years.
Strasburg was so intriguing to many scouts and teams that year because of his fastball, which constantly reached and hovered around the 100 MPH mark. He had been playing at San Diego State and was pitching well, an all signs were pointing to continued success as he was called up to the big leagues in June of 2010, basically one year after he had been drafted.
Just a few months into his major league career, the bad news train came rolling into Washington, as Strasburg would be shut down for most of 2011 while he recovered from Tommy John surgery. A pretty devastating blow to Stephen and the Nationals, as they were really depending on him to contribute to the team.
Nevertheless, Strasburg would return and has been very steady at the major league level. Over the course of his ten year career, the right hander has a 95-53 record with a 3.18 ERA. Considering he has been around for 10 seasons, this is certainly a great mark for any pitcher at age 30. He is currently signed with the Nationals and his contract does not expire until 2023.
The Washington Nationals drafted well with this pick.