Another day, another high profile pitcher making his two-inning spring debut for his new team. Unlike Roy Halladay and Aroldis Chapman before him, though, Stephen Strasburg was only solid and not jaw-dropping. The Nationals’ future ace didn’t allow any runs, but he did allow consecutive hits with two outs in the second. He threw 27 pitches – 15 of them for strikes – and he topped out at 98 mph. Two things in particular stood out when I watched the game. First he ended the second inning – his last – with a stunning breaking ball. It was clocked at 81 mph, and it looked like it was bending around a corner. That’s a serious major league out pitch. Beyond that, though, Strasburg definitely looked like a guy who is in need of some time in the minors before he hits the big time. His talent is obvious and massive, but he struggled with his location throughout his outing, and he doesn’t quite look like he believes he belongs and can dominate the pitchers he faces. It’s not like Washington is going to do anything this year anyway, so I think it would be a real mistake to rush him along. Regardless of the rough edges, though, it was exciting to finally see him pitch in the pros, and it’s not hard to see why we have heard so much about him.

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