MLB 21st century face of the franchise — Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg
It says a lot about Stephen Strasburg’s relationship with the Nationals that he has signed to remain with the team at least through his age 37 season. That is almost certain to make him that rarest thing among Scott Boras clients: a one-team lifer.
Drafted by the Nats in 2009, Strasburg was 18-6 in helping carry the Nats to the franchise’s first World Series win in 2019. He pitched a league-leading 209 innings that year. Strasburg was a perfect 5-0 in six post-season starts, with a 1.98 ERA.
Against Houston in the World Series, he won Game 2 12-3, then delivered a 7-2 Game 6 win. For that performance, he was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.
It was the kind of showing Nats fans have hoped for from Strasburg since arriving as the No. 1 draft selection. Entering 2021, he has a 112-59 career record with a 3.19 ERA in nearly 1,500 innings of work. He’s already accumulated nearly 1,700 strikeouts, averaging more than one per inning.
The last three seasons have certainly been the most frustrating of his career. He has been limited by injury to eight starts and one victory.
In the wings: The Nats are banking on catcher Keibert Ruiz to be a centerpiece of their rebuilding. Obtained from Los Angeles in the Scherzer-Turner 2021 trade, Ruiz established himself as a regular in 2022.