Pressure has arguably been one of the defining words of Stephen Strasburg’s baseball career to this point. You wouldn’t know it from his trademark stoic expression though.
As he established himself as one of the best collegiate pitchers in the country at San Diego State, the pressure was on him on a weekly basis to perform to that standard.
The pressure was further on him when the Washington Nationals took him with the first overall pick in 2009, and as he made his way through the minor leagues as one of the best pitching prospects in a generation.