Strasburg lived up to the hype in his MLB debut as the tall righty picked up a victory in impressive fashion. Strasburg walked none, struck out 14 batters and allowed just two earned runs on four hits in seven innings pitched. He struck out the last seven batters he faced including the side in both the sixth and seventh innings and topped out at 100 mph.
As for the draft, all went as planned as Bryce Harper went No. 1 overall on Monday evening. And if all goes according to plan in Washington, D.C., the backstop will be Strasburg's battery mate for years to come in the nation's capital.
But the term "draft bust" doesn't relate to a barroom keg explosion.
Prospects come and go and hype can't catch up to a 100-mph inside heater. However, there is a growing crop of blue chips in the vast minor league and amateur baseball landscape and it's up to scouting departments to find them, coaches to mold them, and fans to adore them.
And it's up to sports fans to break them down and predict the game's next superstar.
Here are the top 10 future stars with a shot at Cooperstown.
Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants
A tall lefty with heat is music to the ears of the Bay Area's fanbase. Ready to follow in Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum's steps in the Giants' staff, the 20-year-old Bumgarner is primed to strike fear in the NL West for years to come. In 24 starts last season between High-A and Double-A, Bumgarner went 12-2 with a 1.85 ERA while striking out 92 and walking 34 in 131 1/3 total innings. Plus, he has a great baseball name that sounds like The Rookie of the Year's Henry Rowengartner.
Neftali Feliz, RHP, Rangers
This flame-thrower in the Lone Star State has already showed the MLB what he has to offer. After Rangers closer Frank Francisco struggled out of the gate as the Texas stopper, King Feliz was given the rock and he hasn't looked back. The 22-year-old Dominican has 15 saves in 17 chances this season while boasting a 2.73 ERA. In 26 1/3 innings, he's allowed just seven walks while striking out 28 batters. Clocked in at or above 100 mph, Feliz has impressed president and partial owner of the club Nolan Ryan — a man who had a decent heater in his day, too.
Bryce Harper, C, Nationals
The hot-head, homer-happy Harper has entered the professional baseball realm with as much hype as LeBron James had in hoops and Sidney Crosby had on the ice. But will he live up to it? The former catcher, who will take refuge in the outfield for the Nats someday, is just 17-years-old but stands in at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. At age 15 he smashed a home run 570 feet. After completing his GED early, so he'd be eligible for this year's draft, he enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada. He chose this team primarily because they play in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, a league that uses wood bats in conference play. In 66 games, he hit 31 home runs, 98 RBI, hitting .443/.526/.987. You think those numbers are good? Wait until you see him in his 20s.
Austin Jackson, OF, Tigers
The 23-year-old Jackson was part of the deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees so you know this kid has to have something special. Luckily for the Tigers, he was able to show it this season as he is in the top 10 in runs scored in just his first three months of Major League action. The speedster has and will continue to benefit from Detroit's immense gaps as he's notched a pair of 30-plus stolen base in his minor league career and already has eight in nine big-league attempts. If he can manage to stay in front of big boppers like Miguel Cabrera for multiple years, he'll be scoring runs and swiping bags in bunches.
Casey Kelly, RHP, Red Sox
Kelly has the goods to develop into the ace of this staff someday, and his talents paired with the fact that he's the future of an organization rich in income and offense, he's already on his way to stardom. Kelly was picked by the Sox as both a shortstop and pitcher but hung up his bat this past spring to focus on developing into the club's next ace.
Carlos Santana, C, Indians
The 24-year-old switch-hitting basher is the heir to Victor Martinez's throne behind the dish after the All-Star catcher was dealt to Boston in 2009. Santana has the power and can hit for average and will be a hero in Cleveland in no time. Through 53 games with Triple-A Columbus, Santana has 11 homers, 46 RBIs, a .322 BA and a 1.038 OPS.
Jesus Montero, C, Yankees
Pinstripes plus power equals fame. Still a couple years away from stealing the stage at Yankee Stadium, the 20-year-old Montero has the build (6-foot-4, 230-pounds — and growing) and bat (17 homers, 70-plus RBIs in each of the past two seasons) to keep the Bronx Bombers atop the offensive charts. Although many scouts would like to see him switch to first base, Montero will get ample opportunity to prove his skills anywhere in the lineup with the supporting cast and short fence around him. With a solid young staff developing with him, he'll turn some heads with the amount of wins he calls behind the dish, too.
Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Reds
Chapman turned heads — and nearly took a few off with his 100-mph heaters — during the Pan American Games in 2007 and the World Baseball Classic in 2009. The lefty also went 11-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 2008-2009, striking out 130 in 118 1/3 IP in the Serie Nacional. Chapman signed a contract with the Cincinnati Reds on January 11, 2010, worth $30.25 million over 6 years and will be worth every penny as the 22-year-old flame-thrower struck out nine batters over just 4 2/3 innings in his professional debut with the Louisville Bats on April 11. The Great American "Small Park" in Cincy is going to appear a lot larger for opponents when he takes the hill.
Jason Heyward, OF, Braves
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound slugger was nabbed in the middle of the 2007 draft and made his highly-anticipated debut this season — and he did so with authority. Heyward smashed a three-run homer in his first MLB at-bat on Opening Day in Atlanta and hasn't looked back. In his first 54 games, he has 10 homers, 39 RBIs and a .266 batting average to go with 31 runs scored.
Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals
The former San Diego State Aztecs hurler has been wowing hitters, coaches and former aces since first taking the rock as a professional pitcher. Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling "has never seen anything like Strasburg," and in a year or two, with a couple seasons under his belt, he's going to dominate hitters with ease. Oh wait, he took care of that in his major league debut on Tuesday night.
