Stephen Strasburg and the Most Dangerous Pitchers in the Batter's Box

Teams don't expect much when their pitcher comes to the plate, and many times he is little more than a guaranteed out and dead spot in the lineup.

However, some pitchers can legitimately swing the bat and help themselves out at the plate. Whether they are former two-way college players or simply superior athletes, some pitcher just swing it better than most.

One name to recently join the ranks of hurlers who can swing it is Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg, as he has doubled in each of his past three starts and currently has an OPS of .896.

So here is a quick look at some of the best hitting pitchers in the game today. Only National League pitchers and pitchers who are currently in the majors were included, so no Jason Marquis and no Dontrelle Willis.

Mike Leake

2012 Stats: 2-for-9

Career Stats: .259/.303/.286, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 12 R

One of the greatest pitchers in Arizona State University history, Leake went 40-6 with a 2.91 ERA while also occasionally playing some outfield as well.

He had a career line of .299 BA, 2 HR, 20 RBI over 97 college at bats, and that experience has carried over to the big leagues where he ranks among the most athletic pitchers in the game.

Daniel Hudson

2012 Stats: 2-for-7, Run

Career Stats: .242/.279/.323, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 7 R

Still in the early stages of his career, Hudson had a breakout season last year both on the mound and at the plate where he was the 2011 Silver Slugger winner.

While he was not a two-way player in college, Hudson certainly looked like he knew what he was doing at the plate last year as he hit .277 with a HR and 14 RBI.

Livan Hernandez

2012 Stats: 0-for-1, BB

Career Stats: .222/.232/.296, 10 HR, 85 RBI, 64 R

Hernandez is now 37 years old and a 17-year big league veteran, and while he currently finds himself in the Braves bullpen and likely won't get many at bats, he can still swing it.

With an impressive 215 career hits, Hernandez has been consistently solid at the dish and even dating back to last season he went 10-for-46 with seven RBI.

Stephen Strasburg

2012 Stats: 4-for-13, 3 Doubles

Career Stats: .128/.150/.205, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

Strasburg has quickly emerged as one of the top pitchers in the game, and he could soon rival the likes of Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw for the title of best in the game.

He entered the season just 1-for-26 in his career, but he is off to a great start this year and currently has an impressive .896 OPS, backed by three doubles in 13 at-bats.

Cliff Lee

2012 Stats: 3-for-8, RBI

Career Stats: .179/.188/.245, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R

Lee has spent much of his career in the American League, and he had just 27 career at bats entering the 2009 season, but he has already developed a reputation as a good hitter.

In his first full season in the National League last year, he hit .200 with two HR, seven RBI and added a pair of doubles, as one of the game's top pitchers has no trouble helping himself at the dish.

Yovani Gallardo

2012 Stats: 1-for-14, RBI

Career Stats: .210/.248/.373, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R

The 2010 Silver Slugger winner, Gallardo launched four home runs that season, and has hit seven of his nine career long balls over the past three seasons.

He was good at the plate from the get-go, as he hit .250 with two HR and six RBI over 40 at bats as a 21-year-old rookie in 2007, and he should continue to rank among the game's top hitting pitchers.

Micah Owings

2012 Stats: 0-for-2

Career Stats: .283/.310/.502, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 27 R

The 2007 Silver Slugger winner, Owings served as a two-way player at the University of Tulane in helping them reach the College World Series.

He posted a .355 BA, 18 HR, 63 RBI line to lead the team in all three categories, and likely could have been a high draft pick as a first baseman/outfielder as well.

Carlos Zambrano

2012 Stats: 1-for-12

Career Stats: .238/.248/.389, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 72 R

A three-time Silver Slugger winner, there are few pitchers with the type of power that Zambrano possesses as his 23 career home runs rank ninth all-time among pitchers.

He has six seasons in which he has hit multiple home runs, and three seasons in which he has driven in double-digit runs. He's off to a slow start this year, but there is little doubt he can swing the bat.