Nationals Legend Stephen Strasburg Is Starting His Coaching Career
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The entire baseball world is talking about the epic Game 3 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night that was the longest game in World Series history. But missed in all of that hoopla is that Washington Nationals legend Stephen Strasburg is officially beginning his coaching career.
The superstar pitcher, who spent all 13 Major League Baseball seasons with the Nationals and won World Series MVP when the franchise won their first-ever championship in 2019, is returning home to his alma mater and joining the staff at San Diego State University.
Stephen Strasburg Hired by San Diego State
In a press release from the school, they stated, "The San Diego State baseball program welcomed back a legendary alumnus on Monday when Aztec head coach Kevin Vance announced the hiring of Stephen Strasburg as the team's special assistant to the head coach."
Strasburg, after growing up in the San Diego area, became a legend for the Aztecs. Not only was he a consensus first-team All-America selection in both 2008 and 2009, but he was named the National Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and set program records for most strikeouts in a game (23), in a season (195) and in a career (375). He also set the school record for having the lowest career ERA of 1.59 and tied the program's record for most wins in a season with 13.
"Strasburg will lend his support to the Aztec baseball program, including fundraising and special events, along with alumni and donor relations. In addition, he will serve as a team mentor to improve the student-athlete experience, while offering assistance in pitching development," the statement from SDSU further shared about what his role is going to be.
It's Homecoming Week on The Mesa, and what better time to celebrate the return of one our most distinguished alumni. Excited to welcome Stephen Strasburg to our staff! #GoAztecs
— San Diego State Baseball (@AztecBaseball) October 27, 2025
📰 Story: https://t.co/2443bmRiJq pic.twitter.com/CMulk4JtbW
Things didn't end on the best note between Strasburg and the Nationals, and there are certainly fans out there who aren't happy with the contract situation the team is saddled to because of his injuries. But there's no dismissing his importance to this franchise and what he meant during the majority of his tenure in the nation's capital.
Some day, things should get smoothed over. And when that happens, a full on celebration should be had for the first overall pick of the 2009 draft who became a three-time All-Star, owned a career 3.24 ERA, finished top 10 in NL Cy Young voting three times and, most importantly, won a World Series.
He's undoubtedly one of the greatest players in franchise history, and now he's back involved with the game that did so much for him throughout his life.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai