In San Diego the radar gun was working overtime, and all because of a 20 year old wonder kid who kept throwing 3 figure pitches. 101 mph showed up time and time again, and as the scouts observed the player, the inevitable question arose: will Stephen Strasburg pitch a baseball faster than anyone ever has before?
It has been reported that the baseball scoreboards showed a 103 mph pitch early this season, yet the Nationals previously wouldn’t divulge this publicly, maybe due to the fact that they feared that such information would only inflate his price. Only 3 other pitchers have ever thrown a triple digit pitch. Even more amazing is that all of these players managed such a throw in the major leagues, and not as a college junior. Stephen Strasburg starts now for the Washington Nationals, and at his age such velocity levels have never been seen before, not even by the greats such as Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson. In fact, no pitchers of his age have thrown 3 digit balls since the advent of the radar gun.
Unsurprisingly, Strasburg dominated college baseball. In 34 1/3 innings, he had an incredible 74 strikeouts and only 29 of these outs came via a batted ball. The scoreboards showed that he knocked out 23 batters in a single game last year.
It was not surprising that the asking price for the Washington Nationals, (who held the 1st overall pick) started at around $15 million. Teams pay good money for home run power, and they also pay big for power pitchers who can reach the coveted 100 mph mark.
What is the chance that he won’t eventually beat the record for the fastest ever pitch? The only pitch recorded that was faster than 103 mph was the 104.8 mph throw by Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 10, 2006.
A scout from a National League team mentioned how scary it is that he could develop even more velocity over the next few years. The scout said that he is almost sure to be recognized as the fastest pitcher ever.
His fast ball is not his only weapon though. He often starts with a fastball, then send hitters out with a hook in the mid-eighties mph range. Unlike most pitchers who are young and fast, Strasburg rarely throws wild. Since 2006, he has played 210 innings at college and international level and he has walked only 45 hitters whilst striking out 315. He is a strikeout genius and has the potential to become one of the greatest pitchers ever. The next couple of years are going to be very interesting…
For more information on Stephen Strasburg, the amazing young pitcher, go to:
wikipedia