The Washington Nationals’ 14-9 start may be startling to some pitching parvenus, but to any handy hurler it is no surprise. The Natio
nals’ pitching staff is one of the strongest young rotations in the big leagues, and it shows. The ace of the staff is Stephen Strasburg (right), a 23-year-old fireballer from San Diego State University that is coming off of major elbow surgery last year. Many questioned if he would maintain his control or if his “stuff” was still as good as it was. His “stuff” is as good as or better than it has ever been. With 34 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched and a 1.13 ERA he leads the team in wins (2-0) and strikeouts. He isn’t the only exceptional pitcher in the rotation though.
Gio Gonzales is another young prospect looking to make his name with the Nationals. He is also 2-0 with just as many strikeouts as Strasburg in only 29.2 innings pitched. Jordan Zimmerman is a third fantastic starter for the Nats, who have struggled greatly in all departments for many years. Now that they finally have someone (or three someones) who can get the job done on the mound, they just have to put some runs up on offense. Hopefully their new prospect Bryce Harper can spark the Nationals on offense and lead them to a National League title, and maybe even a World Series visit. Yes, they are that good. We have seen trios of young starters take teams to success before. Just think of the Athletics’ Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. So keep a close eye on the National League standings; you may be surprised by what you see.