Stephen Strasburg announced his retirement from baseball on Sunday after a 13-season career with the Washington Nationals that was marred by devastating injuries.
Strasburg, 35, was a three-time All-Star and part of the franchise’s only championship team in 2019. He was named MVP of the World Series after the Nationals beat the Houston Astros in seven games, when he went 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA over 14 1/3 innings.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love,” Strasburg wrote in a statement. “I realized after repeated attempts to return to pitching, injuries no longer allow me to perform at a Major League level.
“… Although I will always wish there were more games to be pitched, I find comfort knowing I left it all out there for the only team I’ve known.”
After leading the Nationals to the World Series title, Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245 million deal before the next season. However, because of injuries, he made just eight starts and threw 31 1/3 innings while going 1-4 with a 6.89 ERA under the new contract.
Strasburg, 35, had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2021, had a stress reaction in his ribs in 2022 and was shut down in spring training of 2023 with what was characterized as severe nerve damage. He last pitched in a game on June 9, 2022.
The 6-foot-5 Strasburg was intimidating on the mound and three times recorded more than 200 strikeouts in a season.
In 2019, he struck out a career-high 251 batters in 209 innings and was 18-6 on the season with a 3.32 ERA. He finished fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
Strasburg said last August that he was retiring immediately, but The Athletic reported then that Strasburg and the Nationals hadn’t agreed on a contract settlement. The Washington Post reported that it is expected Strasburg will be paid the $105 million remaining on his contract, through he has agreed to defer some of the money.
The team also issued a statement Sunday.
“It was a privilege to watch him grow as a player and a person throughout his illustrious career,” said Mark D. Lerner, managing principal owner of the Nationals.
“He gave us so many memories that will live in our hearts forever. No one can dispute the indelible impact he had on our organization. He put us on the map as World Champions and changed the face of our franchise. Thank you, Stephen — for everything — and congratulations on a tremendous career.”
A former No. 1 overall draft pick by the Nationals in 2009 out of San Diego State, Strasburg lived up to the potential by going 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA in 247 starts. He was an All-Star in 2012, 2016 and 2017, and he tallied 1,723 strikeouts in 1,470 innings.
Strasburg said winning a World Series was his “childhood dream” and thanked the Lerner family and the fans in his statement.
“Although I will always wish there were more games to be pitched, I find comfort in knowing I left it all out there for the only team I’ve known.”
–Field Level Media
