Strasburg's Cy Young consideration a significant milestone

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg took a significant step forward in 2017.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America agreed it was, and arguably could be, the best season of his career.

On Monday night, Strasburg was named one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, alongside Nationals teammate Max Scherzer and Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw. The winners will be announced Nov. 15.

Strasburg received consideration for the honor in 2014, finishing ninth in the balloting, but never has the right-hander gotten this close to the award. In 2017, he went 15-4 with a 2.52 ERA. The 15 wins matched a career high and the season ERA his best ever.

He began this season by pitching from the stretch instead of the windup. He said he also heeded a warning sign midway through the season, when he went briefly on the disabled list with a nerve impingement in his right arm.

"Yeah, I think I really just tried to listen to my body," Strasburg said during the National League Division Series. "You know, something just wasn't right there after the All-Star Break, and we were definitely conservative with it. I think it's something that I could have pitched through, but looking back on it now, I really just made that decision with the training staff because my ultimate goal was to be there at the end.

"And I was able to accomplish that, and obviously my body is feeling much better than it did. That's a positive. So I just look back on that as a learning experience in itself, and to not necessarily go out there and think small picture, like next start, but big picture."

Strasburg's teammates certainly appreciate when they have a healthy Strasburg. It makes a big difference in how far this club can go.

"He's somebody that goes out there and competes every single night and he's done that all year long," said right fielder Bryce Harper. "To be able to go out there and do what he did (in Game 1), what more can you say? He did a great job."

Strasburg made his second start in the National League Division Series after battling flu-like symptoms. His Game 4 win kept the Nats in the series with the Cubs. He went 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA in those two starts.

But his 28 starts in 2017 were the most he put together since that 2014 season of 34 games. His 204 strikeouts the most since the 242 in 2014. The one-two punch of Scherzer and Strasburg was the best in baseball.

It's a big deal that the BBWAA recognized that Strasburg deserves consideration for best pitcher honors and maybe a positive signal that he is reaching that consistent potential the Nats and Strasburg expected when he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2010.

"I think from Day One, there was pretty high expectations," Strasburg said during the NLDS. "You know, I think you just have to do a little bit of soul searching, look yourself in the mirror, and when things don't go well, learn from it. But the biggest thing is keep moving forward and trusting the process.

"As a pitcher, I like to take pride in that, the effort I put out there in each start and the amount of pitches that I execute. I think that's something that's really helped me is playing the game within the game and focusing on what you can control out there and making the adjustments when necessary, and when all is said and done, just knowing that you gave it everything you had."