Well the Nationals really dropped the ball with Aaron Crow. The Nats first round pick last year who was just shy of major league ready, chock full of talent, and was easily the best pitcher in college baseball, evidently wasn't worth the the extra Hendricks tax to sign him to the club. Instead of signing a below value contract, Crow elected to take the year off and re-enter the draft in the summer of 2009, where he is still projected to be a top 10 pick.
The good news for the club however is that their 102 loss season left them with the worst record in baseball, and as a result the Nats will have the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. It seems the consensus top pick on everyones draft board is right handed pitcher Steven Strasburg, and he may very well be the savior of the Washington Nationals franchise. Many are already comparing him to previous top college pitchers David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Mark Prior, and Tim Lincecum.
A right-handed starter from San Diego State University, Strasburg has risen to the top of the college pitching ranks with authority both on the mound and with his reputation. At six foot four inches, 220 pounds, he stands as your prototypical power pitcher, but with the stuff to put him on the next level. His fastball sits in the high 90's, and he has been known to record 96 on the last pitch of a complete game. He has a plus-plus slider with two break planes and a developing change-up. His mechanics are smooth and he has a good head on his shoulders (turned down scholarships to Harvard and Yale).
Strasburg two biggest accomplishments came last year when first he struck out 23 Utah University batters en route to a complete game one hitter (he happened to be sick that day). And second, as the sole college player on the U.S Olympic baseball team, Strasburg pitched a one hitter sending his team to the medal rounds. Netherlands manager Jim Lefeabvre later said had they known about Strasburg, “They might not have shown up (New York Times).”
Video of Strasburgs 23 K game
Video of Strasburg in the pen
Bottom line: The Nats are lucky to have a shot at this once in a generation talent. While he certainly makes up for missing out on Crow, it sure would have been nice to have both of them in the mix, as they could be at the top of the rotation by 2011. The Nats should not hesitate to draft, sign, and coddle Strasburg at all cost.
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