Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Former World Series MVP Announces Retirement

On Thursday, a former World Series MVP announced that he would be retiring due to the injuries he is currently enduring.

Stephen Strasburg Announces His Retirement

Nationals Lose a Franchise Icon

According to multiple reports, Washington Nationals star Stephen Strasburg is set to retire in the coming weeks. The story was first reported by The Washington Post. Preliminary plans are to hold a news conference on September 9th before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The announcement will come over a year since Strasburg’s last appearance on a Major League mound. In 2022, he attempted a comeback from thoracic outlet syndrome and made one start in June, only pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing seven runs. He has made just eight starts since signing a seven-year, $245 million contract following the 2019 season, amassing 31 1/3 innings.

Strasburg is arguably one of the most significant Nationals in franchise history. The first overall pick in the 2009 draft, Strasburg was one of the most hyped pitching prospects of all time. He made his Major League debut in 2010, electrifying all of baseball with an iconic debut.

Strasburg served as one of the first league-wide faces of Washington’s franchise and stuck around to be a key piece of their first World Series title. Since 2020, the Nationals have the second-worst record in baseball at 205-307 and have hoped for Strasburg to return and boost their rotation. Now, it looks like he will retire and leave a lot of money on the table. Though the financial implications are unclear, the Nationals are reportedly without disability insurance on his contract. The Strasburg retirement is not a genuine surprise, but it does confirm the worst possible news for the team.

Strasburg’s Career

Over the course of his career, Strasburg amassed 1,470 innings in 247 starts, pitching to a 3.24 ERA. He is a three-time All-Star and won the 2012 Silver Slugger. As a rookie, he was known for his blazing fastball, but he developed into a more polished pitcher as he aged, boasting a vicious curveball and deadly changeup to go along with his high-90s heat. Though he underwent Tommy John surgery during his rookie season and dealt with injuries throughout his career, he was able to make at least 22 starts every year between 2012 and 2019. Strasburg established himself as an all-time great postseason pitcher over the course of his career. In 55 1/3 career playoff innings, Strasburg had a 1.46 ERA. His postseason dominance culminated in a World Series MVP trophy in 2019, after a record-tying 5-0 record over the Nationals’ October run.

Overall, Strasburg cemented himself as a Washington Nationals legend over his career. Fans in DC will always remember him fondly, for what he was able to provide. In addition, there will always be questions about what Stephen Strasburg could have been if his body had held up. However, his career was illustrious and exciting, which is all a baseball fan can ask for.

Main photo credits:

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Goodrich

Jonathan Goodrich

Jonathan is a lifelong baseball fan from Northern Virginia, and particularly loves writing about the beauty of the sport. Using his experiences around the game, he loves to shine a light on the small, overlooked details that make baseball so compelling.

Share:

More Posts

Send Us A Message