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Washington Nationals starting pitcher and 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg officially retired from baseball Saturday.
Strasburg played 13 seasons in Washington, earning three All-Star selections. He is most known for leading the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title, going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five postseason starts. Two of those victories came against the Houston Astros in the championship round.
In a statement released Sunday, Strasburg acknowledged the overwhelming fan support he’s received over the course of his 13-year career.
“As a young kid, all I dreamt about was winning a World Series. Thanks to the many coaches, teammates, and medical staff, my boyhood dream came true in 2019,” Strasburg wrote. “Despite this being a personal goal of mine, I’ve come to realize how truly important and special that moment was for so many fans in the DMV.”
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The Washington Nationals also released a statement on X Sunday praising Strasburg as one of their all-time greats.
“It was a privilege to watch him grow as a player and a person throughout his illustrious career. He gave us so many memories that will live in our hearts forever.”
The No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Strasburg entered MLB as arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball history. For much of his career he lived up to that hype, beginning with a 14-strikeout outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his professional debut. He would go on to win 113 games with a 3.24 ERA and average 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
For all of Strasburg’s success, however, his stardom was derailed by a multitude of injuries.
He was shut down midway through his rookie year for Tommy John surgery, had carpal tunnel surgery in 2020 and has dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome since 2022. The latter occurs when there is compression of nerves or blood vessels in the lower neck and upper chest.
Strasburg had pitched only 4 ⅔ innings since June 9, 2022.
He signed a seven-year, $245 million extension in December 2019 following his World Series run. He is owed more than $100 million by the franchise for the remaining years. The Nationals and Strasburg, according to multiple reports, agreed to a financial settlement this week.
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