Stephen Strasburg Named Opening Day Starter In Washington

The Washington Nationals have named Stephen Strasburg their opening day starter. It will be Strasburg’s second straight opening day assignment as he begins his second full year in the majors.

Strasburg was the National’s opening day starter last year and helped lead the team to a 98 win season and the best record in baseball. He didn’t finish the season in the majors though. The Nationals controversially put Strasburg on a 160 inning limit and kept to their word in the middle of the playoff race.

The Nationals were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Cardinals and some blame shutting down Strasburg as the reason why. However, Washington didn’t want to over stress their young star’s elbow coming off of Tommy John surgery and still believe they made the right decision.

This year Stephen Strasburg will have the chains released. There will be no inning limit and he will be able to pitch as deep in the playoffs as he can.

Most people around the baseball world had assumed that Strasburg would be the opening day starter and now it has been confirmed.The decisions was probably an easy one for manager Davey Johnson. Strasburg is the most talented pitcher on one of the best staffs in baseball.

Surrounding Stephen Strasburg in the National’s starting rotation is 2012 Cy Young Award candidate Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, and Dan Haren. Zimmerman, Haren, and Gonzalez would all be opening day starters on other clubs.

Here is Nationals opening day starter Stephen Strasburg discussing this season:

Washington will still have to be careful with Strasburg though. As a strikeout pitcher who throws harder than most he is more likely to get injured from the added stress on his elbow. He already has one major surgery in his short career, for the Nationals sake hopefully it will be his last.

Should Stephen Strasburg be the Nationals opening day starter? Has Washington handled their young star in the best way possible?