If the Nationals want to successfully defend their 2019 World Series title they’ll need Stephen Strasburg to pitch at a high level during the upcoming 60-game regular season.
In many ways, the 2020 MLB season is going to feel like an extended playoff run for the Nationals. As such, it’s clear they will need their starting rotation to come up big. In particular, Washington needs Stephen Strasburg to pitch like an ace every time he takes the hill.
Strasburg’s ability to absolutely dominate hitters on the mound helps set the tone for the way the Nationals want to play. The swagger the team showcases when they’re playing their best baseball makes them seem almost invincible. Plenty of Strasburg’s teammates take their cue from their ace’s ability to blow hitters away with his fiery fastball and devastating offspeed stuff.
Conversely, the entire locker room can be deflated when Strasburg is forced to miss time due to injury. His ability to make 33 starts in 2019 was a big reason why the Nationals were able to stay in the thick of the NL East race for the entire campaign. Remember, Washington started their World Series journey a season ago by winning the Wild Card game. If Strasburg is forced to miss any significant time in a 60-game season it’s going to put his team in a very precarious situation.
The key for the Nationals, of course, is to make sure that Strasburg is ready to perform like a dominant starter when the postseason arrives. The team has the talent to comfortably make it into the playoffs. A large part of their focus during the truncated regular season needs to be making sure their veterans don’t overexert themselves before the games really start to count.
If the Nationals want to win big in 2020 they need Stephen Strasburg to pitch like an ace every time he takes the mound. There’s plenty of additional star talent on the roster, but it’s difficult to envision Washington making another deep postseason run without Strasburg leading the way.