Earlier this summer, baseball fans everywhere witnessed one of the most anticipated professional debuts in the history of the game. When Stephen Strasburg took the mound against the Pirates on June 8, the entire sports world watched in anticipation. With a 100-plus mph fastball and devastating curveball, Strasburg exceeded expectations in his first start, throwing even more coal into the furnace of a hype train about to break the sound barrier.

The day after his first start MLB 2K10's MLB Today debuted Strasburg's virtual doppelganger with an overall rating of 87, which made him one of the top 15 pitchers in the game. Since Strasburg has continued to impress in each of his real life starts (until he went on the DL) and has quieted many naysayers (myself included), I wanted to take a peak into the future of Strasburg's career and see just how good/bad/or indifferent his Major League career could be using MLB 2K10. Utilizing the "Living Roster" from 6/18, I simulated Strasburg's entire MLB career.

So how did the most exciting prospect this side of Ken Griffey Jr. fair according to MLB 2K10? Here's a hint, Nationals fans will be very happy but not exactly for the reason you may think. Read on to find out.

2010

Strasburg finishes the year with a strong rookie campaign. Strasburg boasts a 3.77 ERA and 182 strikeouts on his way to winning 12 games and losing 8. The Nats finish in the NL cellar, and Strasburg does not win rookie of the year.

2011

In a season Nationals fans everywhere want to forget, Stras goes 7-14 with a 4.97 ERA and 178 strikeouts. Strasburg started the season 5-0 before imploding, shocking the baseball world after a solid rookie campaign.

2012

Stras recovers from his disastrous second season and manages to win 11 games while losing 7. His ERA dropped a full run per game to 3.79, and he managed 172 strikeouts. Washington fans grow restless as their star pitcher underwhelms for a second straight year, and the team finishes in dead last in the NL East. One positive note is that Strasburg is now rated an 89 overall -- the highest of his career to this point.

2013

As a team the Nats manage to finish in second place in the NL East, only four games behind the eventual World Series champion Braves. Strasburg's career continues to plateau as the one time sensation finishes 13-12 with a 4.34 ERA and 175 strikeouts.

2014

Strasburg hits rock bottom. In a year that saw the Nationals fall from their 2013 pedestal back to last place in the NL East, Stras goes 6-14 with a 4.72 ERA and 140 strikeouts. Next season is a contract year for Strasburg, and after a poor showing in 2014, no one is quite sure if the Nationals will bring him back. (Fun fact: another NL East team wins the World Series -- this time it's Philadelphia taking home the hardware.)

2015

Strasburg improves upon his terrible 2014 output but still only manages a mediocre year at best. Winning only 11 games as opposed to his 13 losses and 5.49 ERA, the Nationals enrage all of America by re-signing the one-time phenom to a 6-year $24 million deal. Strasburg does strikeout 171 in 2015, with a vast majority being against new Brave Brandon Inge.

2016

Fresh off a brand-new multimillion dollar deal, Strasburg reinvents himself. Relying more on his breaking pitches, he only manages to strikeout 156 but wins 13 games versus 11 losses. His ERA dips to 3.30 this season, and the Nationals finish in second place, losing a couple heartbreakers down the stretch to NL East and defending World Series champion Florida Marlins.

2017

It’s back to the drawing board if you are a Strasburg fan. Stephen goes 10-15 with a 4.84 ERA and 178 strikeouts. The nation's capital is left scratching its head as Strasburg is been demoted to the team's fourth starter. However, the team itself is in better shape, finishing just three games out of first. The Phillies win the World Series and prove once again that the NL East is quite possibly the greatest division in league history over the last seven years.

2018

In a bittersweet season, the Nationals win the wild card, finishing only one game back of defending champion Phillies. Strasburg wins his only postseason start with a four-hit shutout but can only manage a 12-12 record with a 5.11 ERA and 174 strikeouts on the season. The Nationals lose in the Divisional series to the Colorado Rockies, who then get swept by the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. Wow, I bet that matchup got high ratings.

2019

Another blah year for Stasburg, going 11-13 with a 4.48 ERA and 174 strikeouts. A third-place finish in the NL East is the best the Nats can muster, and the Red Sox are suddenly good again -- winning the World Series by beating the Cubs in seven games. The curse continues. Poor Harry Caray.

2020

Stras goes 10-11 with a 4.31 ERA and 161 strikeouts, yet somehow ends the season ranked a career high 91 overall. The Nationals are back in second place after losing a tiebreak game to the dreaded Phillies.

2021

In another contract year, the Nationals decide that Strasburg's ungodly terrible 2021 season is worth a brand spankin' new 5-year $8 million deal that will keep Stephen in town until his 40th birthday. Strasburg finishes 2021 8-18 with a 4.31 ERA and 178 strikeouts.

2022

Stras starts the year on fire and earns the first All-Star birth of his 12-year career. After the break, Stephen self destructs, finishing the year 11-13 with a 4.12 ERA. On the bright side, he does sit down a career high 197 batters via the strikeout.

2023

The nation's capital catches some magic in 2023, and the Washington Nationals win the World Series over the Angels. Stras is strong in the postseason, mustering a 2-0 record in four starts with a 3.04 ERA and 24 strikeouts. His stat line for the season is not as impressive (12-10, 4.57 ERA, 157 strikeouts), but who cares, the Nats are the champions of the world. President Schwarzenegger congratulates the team for "terminating" the competition.

2024

Stephen has an incredible year (by his standards), going 14-8 with a 4.10 ERA and 148 strikeouts. Strasburg leads the Nats to the postseason once again, managing a 1-1 record with a 4.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts on the way to the World Series. The Nationals lose to the Angels in seven games in a 2023 rematch, and President Schwarzenegger comforts the team by telling them that "they will be back."

2025

Taking the president’s advice to heart, Strasburg leads the Nats back to the postseason -- and back to the promised land -- as the Nats win their second World Series title in three years. Strasburg struggled in the playoffs, managing a 1-0 record, 4.15 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work. The season line was much better, 14-10, 4.60 ERA, 172 strikeouts. In political news, President Schwarzenegger's term was not renewed so the Nationals were forced to endure a celebratory speech from cyborg Ralph Nader.

2026

Strasburg can only manage an 11-15 record, 4.32 ERA and 187 strikeouts in what looks to be the aging superstar's final contract year. The Nationals decide to keep old-man Strasburg around for at least three more years, signing him to a $9.8 million deal.

2027

The MLB suffers its first lockout since 1994, so Strasburg does not pitch. OK, fine, I’ll admit it -- I lost my notes for the 2027 season. Use your imagination.

2028

A 12-13 season with a 3.73 ERA and 173 strikeouts can't mask an aging Strasburg’s declining skills. Now the number four man in the Nats rotation, Strasburg begins to fade into the twilight of his career.

2029

In what turns out to be Strasburg’s final MLB season, the crafty veteran turns in one of the best years of his 20-year career: 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA and 192 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts

After the season, the now 40-year-old Strasburg decides to hang up his cleats. He compiles a 212-226 record with a career ERA of 4.32 and an astounding 3,265 strikeouts (enough to put him in the 12th position all time, just beneath Phil Niekro).

I am also very happy to note that the City of Cleveland will be able to forget LeBron’s exodus in the year 2029 because their beloved Indians will end the longest city championship drought in sports history by winning the World Series.

Stephen Strasburg may not have been the impact pitcher he was billed to be according to his ratings in MLB 2K10, but he did lead his team to three straight World Series births and two championships. Even with a sub .500 career winning percentage, Stras managed to electrify our nation's capital and bring some hope to any virtual youngster who had a virtual dream. In the end, I was a bit surprised by the results of this sim, but I guess only time will tell how his career will play out -- just ask Ken Griffey Jr.


So how do you think Strasburg will do over the course of his career? If you're a Nationals fan, would you trade the subpar numbers for two straight trips to the World Series and two championships? Sound off below.

Christian McLeod is a Sr. Staff Writer at Operation Sports, specializing in Football and Baseball games. Born, raised, and still residing in Michigan with his beautiful wife, Christian is the self proclaimed Steve Wiebe of Ice Hockey for the NES. Follow him on Twitter at Bumble14_OS, talk to him here in the OS Forums (Bumble14) or join him on XBL/PSN- Gamertag Bumble14.