Strasburg, Zimmermann could dominate for years to come

As I sat there watching Jordan Zimmermann dominate Frederick with his fastball hitting 94, 95 and 96 miles per hour Thursday, I wondered how strong the Nationals pitching staff will be with today's starter Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann as the one-two punch for 2011 and beyond? It's similar to the core that Ryan Zimmerman wants to keep intact at 3-4-5 in the hitting order. You have the middle of your batting lineup set, now get the pieces around it to make a championship team. With Strasburg and Zimmermann as the number one and two starters in the rotation next year, you have a killer combination that can rival any top two starters in the National League. The Nats have other pieces too: A solid stopper in Matt Capps; a young shortstop with an amazing arm in the infield and a bat that can go long if necessary for the offense. Zimmermann was moving at a pace that overwhelmed the Keys hitters yesterday. They were having difficulty treading water against his fastball and changeup and a slider that was baffling. He is ready to go right now. That is an amazing feat considering it has been less than a year since Tommy John surgery. So consider 2010 the warm up for 2011. The Nats have had a tough time getting off to good starts. This year they shot out of the blocks at 20-15. With Strasburg and Zimmermann anchoring the staff to start 2011, the National League East could be in some trouble for years to come.