Nationals star pitcher Stephen Strasburg officially retires at 35

Stephen Strasburg, the 2019 World Series MVP whose pitching career was derailed by injuries, has officially retired from baseball.

Strasburg, 35, was a hard-throwing right-hander who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft and briefly rose to stardom, leading the franchise to the first championship in Washington Nationals history.

But he has not pitched since June 9, 2022 -- his only start that season, which lasted 4⅔ innings before going back on the injured list.

"Today, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love," Strasburg said in a statement released Sunday. "I realized after repeated attempts to return to pitching, injuries no longer allow me to perform at a Major League level. ...

"Although I will always wish there were more games to be pitched, I find comfort knowing I left it all out there for the only team I've known."

He had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve and blood disorder that involves removing a rib and two neck muscles.

Strasburg has thrown only 528 pitches in the majors since signing a $245 million, seven-year contract in December 2019 and did not report to spring training in 2023 or 2024.

"You just feel for somebody like that who was such a good player for a long time," said Washington pitcher Patrick Corbin, who signed with the Nationals before the 2019 season in part to join a rotation that included Strasburg. "It's just unfortunate with the injuries and some setbacks. He tried everything to come back and be part of this team and things just didn't work out."

General manager Mike Rizzo, who selected Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 amateur draft, said the right-hander was on "the Mount Rushmore of the Nationals."

"When he was on the mound, he was as good as any pitcher in baseball -- ever," Rizzo said Sunday before the Nationals played the Phillies. "Unfortunately for him and for us, it wasn't as we wanted it to be."

Under the terms of his contract, Strasburg receives $35 million annually, with $11,428,571 a year deferred at 1% interest. The deferred money is payable in equal installments of $26,666,667 on July 1 in 2027, 2028 and 2029, with an interest payment of $3,999,974 on Dec. 21, 2029.

Featuring a 100-plus mph fastball, he was touted as a generational talent out of San Diego State, and he became one of the faces of Washington's franchise after making his much-anticipated debut in 2010. He struck out 14 batters and allowed two runs on four hits with no walks against the Pittsburgh Pirates to win a memorable game that became known as "Strasmas."

Within three months, Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery and was lost for most of the 2011 season.

In 2012, the Nationals took heat for shutting him down late in the season despite him being 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA. Without their ace, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series.

The long-term benefit of the shutdown didn't emerge until October 2019, when Strasburg went 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA on Washington's championship run and won each of his two starts against the Houston Astros in the World Series.

"As a young kid, all I dreamt about was winning a World Series," Strasburg said in his statement. "Thanks to the many coaches, teammates, and medical staff, my boyhood dream came true in 2019."

In the 2019 regular season, Strasburg went 18-6 to lead the National League in wins while also throwing an NL-high 209 innings.

In 2022, he made one appearance and pitched 4⅔ innings of a loss to the Miami Marlins on June 9, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Strasburg, a three-time All-Star, has spent his entire 13-year major league career with the Nationals. He is 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA over 247 career starts. His 1,723 strikeouts ranks first in Nationals history.

"It was a privilege to watch him grow as a player and a person throughout his illustrious career," Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. "He gave us so many memories that will live in our hearts forever. No one can dispute the indelible impact he had on our organization. He put us on the map as World Champions and changed the face of our franchise."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.