Stephen Strasburg wins World Series MVP thanks to two stellar starts
He only contributed to two games, but a powerhouse performance in both was enough to win Stephen Strasburg World Series MVP.
The right-hander’s journey started as the most-hyped No. 1 overall pick of a generation, took him to unreal heights as a rookie, the operating table for Tommy John surgery, controversy when the team opted to shut him down in 2012 and disappointment after disappointment through no fault of his own.
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Given the chance to put his team up 2-0, then a chance to force a Game 7, Strasburg delivered both times against the best offense in baseball. He threw a combined 14.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and four earned runs. He got the win in all five of his postseason starts, not to mention a three-inning lockdown relief appearance in the wild-card game.
Standing next to his wife and two daughters, Strasburg was gifted a brand new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for his efforts.
Of course, several other players also had arguments for the awards. Anthony Rendon was impossibly clutch. Howie Kendrick wasn’t far behind. Juan Soto was the breakout star of the postseason, a now-21-year-old phenom. But it was Strasburg in the end, more than deserved.
Every time a player is drafted first overall, the team’s hope is he will eventually by a centerpiece for a World Series-winning team. Strasburg is the first player to deliver on those expectations, as he is the first No. 1 overall pick to win World Series MVP with the team that drafted him.
He’s also another great story in quite a year for the San Diego State athletic department.
For the first time in history, out of the four major professional leagues, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Strasburg are the first players from the same university to be named postseason MVP in the same season. #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/EyOT7blwDi
— GoAztecs (@GoAztecs) October 31, 2019
With a ring in hand, Strasburg now faces a major decision this offseason. He has mere days to determine whether or not he wants to opt-out of the four years and $100 million remaining on his contract with the Nationals. After this postseason, he is certain to receive more in free agency.
No matter what happens, though, the legacy of the quiet kid from San Diego blessed with a golden arm is cemented in D.C.
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