page_title: Stephen Strasburg
section_title: Minor leagues
hierarchical_section_title: Stephen Strasburg / Professional career / Minor leagues
caption_attribution_description: Stephen Strasburg
context_page_description: Stephen James Strasburg is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut in 2010 and is a three-time All-Star.
  A talented but unpolished high school baseball player at West Hills High School, Strasburg played college baseball for the San Diego State Aztecs. There, he became one of the best collegiate pitchers in the country. He pitched for the United States national baseball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal. Two years later, Strasburg was called the "most-hyped pick in draft history" by ESPN and the "most hyped and closely watched pitching prospect in the history of baseball" by Sports Illustrated. Strasburg's major league debut on June 8, 2010, produced a franchise-record 14 strikeouts.
  Several months into his major league career, Strasburg tore a ligament in his pitching elbow. The injury required Tommy John surgery and a year of rehabilitation. He rejoined the Nationals on September 6, 2011, but was only able to pitch 24 innings that year.
context_section_description: Strasburg made his professional debut on October 16, 2009, starting for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. He was selected to play in the league's Rising Stars Showcase, but was unable to participate due to a minor neck injury. He also won Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of November 2, 2009 and led the AFL with four wins. Before the 2010 season started, Baseball America named Strasburg as the top pitching prospect, and the second-best overall prospect behind Jason Heyward.
  Strasburg was assigned to the Harrisburg Senators of the Class AA Eastern League for the start of the 2010 season. There was so much anticipation and hype surrounding Strasburg that there were about 70 credentialed media members in attendance at his April 11, 2010 debut, and ESPN nationally broadcast portions of the game. He won his Senators debut against the Altoona Curve, allowing four hits and four runs (one earned), while striking out eight batters in five innings. During his first home start on April 16, he yielded two hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts in ​2 ¹⁄₃ innings in a loss to the New Britain Rock Cats, one where his innings were limited due to a rain delay. Harrisburg set an attendance record in Strasburg's home debut with 7,895 fans. He completed his Class AA stint with a 1.64 ERA while striking out 27 and walking six in 22 innings.
  On May 4, 2010, he was promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League. In his first game with the Chiefs, he pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six batters while allowing one hit and one walk. That game drew 13,766 fans—the highest attendance in the 135-year history of baseball in Syracuse. In his second start, Strasburg was removed after pitching six no-hit innings. He finished his minor league stint with an overall record of 7–2, an ERA of 1.30, 65 strikeouts and 13 walks in ​55 ¹⁄₃ innings, and a walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) ratio of 0.80.
caption: Strasburg pitching for the Syracuse Chiefs in 2010
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