Tuesday night, Stephen Strasburg made his long awaited debut. And he did not disappoint. After three innings, he had already struck out six batters. Soon after, he let up a 2-run home run that just made it over the fence. But he kept his composure, and seemed to get better against the Pirates as the night went along. When it was all set and done, Strasburg struck out 14 batters in seven innings of work. Including that, he struck out the final seven batters that he faced.

The entire sports world is praising Strasburg, and he deserves it. Let’s just remember that Mark Prior dominated the Pirates in his debut, and look what happened to him. But so far, Strasburg looks like the real deal. Washington will likely be selling out whenever he pitches this season. Fans in Washington have something to be very excited about.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Stephen Strasburg is set to make his Major League Baseball debut on June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. So far, Strasburg has a 3-1 record with a 1.27 ERA in five Triple-A starts. Everyone seems so incredibly certain that Strasburg will dominate on the Major League level. While it is possible, it is not a guarantee. If his ERA in his first start is above a 3.00, will people assume that he will not instantly dominate? And if he does do well, it will not automatically bring success. Mark Prior dominated the Pirates in his first ever start, with ten strikeouts; and look at him now.

The Nationals need something to cheer about. They have not had a winning season in an extremely long time, and have not had a superstar since Vladimir Guerrero bolted from the Montreal days. Stephen Strasburg could be the franchise’s savior. But then again, he may not be.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals announced that their prized pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, will debut on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The debut of Strasburg has been a hot topic in the DC area for several weeks. It had been speculated by many that Strasburg would debut for the Nationals on June 4 against the Reds. Due to the speculation of Strasburg’s June 4 arrival, the game was sold out. In recent days, when it became clear that the phenom would not be starting on June 4, many fans became outraged at theperceived cash grab by the frugal club. When the announcement of Strasburg’s first start was made yesterday, fans seemed to forgive the franchise, as the June 8 fixture against the Pirates sold out in less than two hours.

It goes without saying that Stephen Strasburg will arrive in DC with massive expectations. Just a few weeks ago, former star pitcher Curt Schilling said that Strasburg will “immediately potentially be the best pitcher in the game. He’s that polished.” The Washington Nationals need Strasburg to succeed. While they are an improving team with a seemingly bright future, there just is not much buzz around them both in the DC Metro area or in the baseball world. If Strasburg comes to the club and lives up to expectations, it will be a much needed boost to a previously floundering franchise.

Top draft pick Stephen Strasburg has made his spring training debut for the Washington Nationals, pitching two scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers.

Starting for Washington, Strasburg threw 15 of his 27 pitches for strikes and allowed two hits, successive two-out singles by Don Kelly and Alex Avila in the second. But the right-hander finished off Brent Dlugach with a bending, 81 mph breaking ball for an inning-ending strikeout.

Strasburg’s four-seam fastball was consistently measured in the 97-98 mph range and he struck out two Tuesday. But he had some problems with location and threw first-pitch strikes to only two of the eight batters he faced.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com