(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
In 2009, a certain right-handed pitching prospect was dominating the headlines.
As expected, he was the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals, who would also take Bryce Harper a year later.
Widely regarded as one of the best pitching prospects ever to be drafted, Strasburg was a future star.
It only took him about a year of minor league baseball for everyone to realize he already belonged in the majors.
He made his MLB debut in 2010 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
MLB Vault published a video of that outing a couple of years ago.
It never gets old, though.
Now that it has been reported he will retire due to severe nerve damage, this clip is even more valuable.
11 years ago, Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated debut.
It was electric. pic.twitter.com/rQZqAgPAcE
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) June 8, 2021
You can see the quality of his stuff right there: an upper-90s fastball, a knee-buckling changeup and a filthy curveball, plus a few sliders, were enough to dominate not only the Pirates, but virtually every opposing lineup he faced.
The man retires with a 3.24 ERA, multiple All-Star berths, and a World Series ring and MVP award, both in 2019.
Perhaps more impressive is his demeanor on the mound and the impeccable command he showed in the process of carving out the Pirates lineup.
In that game, on June 8, 2010, Strasburg conceded just two runs in seven strong innings of work.
In those seven frames, he surrendered just four hits and no walks, striking out 14(!) hitters.
Not bad for his MLB debut, huh?
The league quickly found out that Strasburg was a special pitcher, built for special things.
The post Video Reminds Fans Of Stephen Strasburg’s Electric Debut appeared first on The Cold Wire.