Washington Nationals, Stephen Strasburg turn a dream into reality

From the time the Washington Nationals picked Stephen Strasburg first overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, they’ve been dreaming of this moment.

It may not have been the first piece of the puzzle, but it was certainly the centerpiece when the Washington Nationals selected Stephen Strasburg with the first pick of the 2009 MLB Draft.

The decision to take him was a no-brainer as he entered the draft as one of the most hyped pitching prospects we’ve ever seen after dominating at the college level.

In his junior year at San Diego State he became a must-see event. That year he struck out 195 batters in 109 innings with a 1.32 ERA and was a consensus top prospect.

Just a year later he was making his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals and it’s an event that not only Nationals fans remember, but most baseball fans as well.

I know I remember being in my apartment in Princeton, W.V. where I was interning for a minor league baseball team. Fortunately, I was in the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast region and got the game on TV.

He set the world on fire by striking out 14 batters, and ever since that moment, the Washington Nationals have been dreaming of Strasburg leading them to a World Series.

Of course, the journey came with its fair share of ups-and-downs.

That rookie season in 2010 was cut short as Strasburg had to have Tommy John surgery that cost him most of the 2011 season as well.

And then he came back just as strong in 2012 and was ready to show the world his greatness, but then we all know what happened as he was shut down for the postseason — a decision that many fans think/thought would haunt the franchise forever.

Strasburg finally made his first postseason start in 2014 and was solid, but not great, in a loss to the San Francisco Giants in which he only lasted 5 innings.

He made two starts against the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and was lights out not allowing an earned run in 14 innings with 22 strikeouts.

Unfortunately, he was handed a loss in one of those games because of 2 unearned runs.

And then, finally, we come to 2019 and the dream has come to fruition.

Yes, the Washington Nationals still need to win three more games to hoist that World Series crown. But just getting here and having Stephen Strasburg lead the way is what we all dreamt about after that 2009 draft.

When Strasburg takes the mound in Game 2 of the 2019 World Series — 10 years after being drafted first overall — the Washington Nationals and their fans can stop dreaming, because this is now a reality.