Commanders Post at The Warpath - The Official Stephen Strasburg MLB Debut Thread

Well, I thought someone would hit a HR and he'd give up 2 runs because of nerves or just the fact he'd never faced a MLB lineup before...but wow...14 Ks and 0 walks? The Pirates' record is horrible but it's due more to a lack of pitching than offense, they have some good power hitters and speedsters on that team...Doumit, Milledge, McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Delwyn Young, Neil Walker (called up last week)...

Insane performance for any pitcher, let alone a first career start.

Glad I was able to watch the game...we may have seen the beginning of a historical career.

Will hitters adjust or figure him out? Maybe but I'd lean towards NO. Unlike a quirky Japanese pitcher that always succeeds the first time through the schedule, Stasburg doesn't rely on mechanical differences to trick batters, he throw 98-100 MPH fastballs and 78-82 MPH changeups, with a 90-92 MPH curveball with a ton of movement. You can't adjust to a 20 MPH speed difference. If you look for a fastball, you won't be able to hit his other pitches. If you look for a curve or changeup, you're getting blown away by the fastball.