Strasburg Who? A Pitcher With Similar Results and Age

     Stephen Strasburg. One of the biggest names in baseball has been much talked about over the course of the season. At first it was the hype and waiting for his first start to happen. People were all excited about him and it seemed that he was going to bring something new upon baseball. He never hit the majors but he still had a following. When he did hit the majors the hype grew bigger and bigger. With each start we saw again and again that Strasburg could pitch like we all wished and knew he could. Outing after outing he showed off his spectacular arm. He dazzled us with his 100 MPH fastball and his just has deadly curve. He amazed us with his 92 Strikeouts. The hype was on and everyone wanted Stephen to live up to the expectations we set upon him. He was 22 and looking to be the next hall of fame pitcher. However it was all for naught as he not only got injured once but twice and is now out for not only this season but also the next.

     While there is a high chance that the Tommy John surgery will be successful, many have claimed that he’ll never make it back to what he was. Others still hang onto him and hope that he’ll be just as great as before. The Strasburg faithful who crowded up the games in which he pitched now have their idol down. Baseball mourns the loss of his arm even if it’s just for a year.

  Yes he has been all we expected and he has potential but I realized. Why did we put so much faith into someone so unproven when there is someone out there proving themselves without the injuries? He is 22 just like our legend, only 4 months older. Already he has netted 19 more wins in his major league career. He’s giving it all and getting some Cy Young props. He may not have 100 MPH and he has less strikeout than Strasburg with 90 more innings, but he is showing us that he has the power to be an effective pitcher. His name is Trevor Cahill.

     Cahill so far over his career has been 24-19 with a 3.78 era and 180 strikeouts. This year he’s 14-6 with a 2.82 era, which puts him tied for 10th in wins and 11th in era. This is not to mention he was sidelined with an injury to start the year and didn't even make the team during spring training. He's 22 just like Strasburg and he's already matching up to the greatest pitchers in the game.

     Guesses may be made about Cahill's success in the future with such an early start and there may be questions about how long he'll keep this up. But remember he's not as much of a power pitcher as evidenced by his strikeouts. So unlike Strasburg he’s probably not so suspect to throw his arm out. (Of course this may be just what I see)

     While his BABiP would lead some to suggest that he’s been very lucky you can’t deny how well he’s been pitching. I’m not the biggest believer in BABiP but no matter how you see it his era is great. That’s also not to mention he just got rocked up against the Yankee’s so his era skyrocketed.

     Considering what we’ve seen of him at such a young age, I’m inclined to believe that he could be the next big thing. Sure there are lots of questions but isn’t that the same with any young unestablished pitcher, or really any player in general? At 22 Cahill has done amazing things, and if he continues pitching like his has this year he’ll be a HOF. Even if he drops off some, he’ll still be a great pitcher.

    While we don’t know what’s in store for him, having 24 wins before most pitchers even get to the majors is definitely a point in his favor. He’s show us he can be excellent with his line so far in this year and its much more proof than Strasburg had when the hype started. Who knows what’ll happen in the future, but I’m inclined to hail Cahill as the next great. So while the rest of you obsess about the injured Strasburg, I’ll be watching Cahill rise.