Howard Smith – USATODAY Sports
A special event is scheduled to take place tonight at Citi Field when the New York Mets open up a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. It’ll be the first of many meetings between the Mets and the Nats this season, but what’s special about this game is the pitching matchup between Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg, two of the best young pitchers in Major League Baseball.
He hasn’t been around for very long, nor was he around for last year’s postseason, but Strasburg has already established himself as the per-eminent young pitcher in baseball. Strasburg boasts the best pure stuff in baseball and has quickly become the face of one of the best young teams in the league, as well as the leader of a great starting rotation.
As for Harvey, he has made just 13 major league starts, but he’s already exceeded the Mets high expectations during the early stages of his career. In his first three starts of 2013, he’s been as dominant as any pitcher in baseball, allowing just six hits and six walks in 22 innings of work, and leading the Mets to three wins.
Tonight’s game will likely be the first of many between the two aces. As pitching once again takes over baseball, young pitchers like Strasburg and Harvey are at the forefront. The dominance both pitchers have exhibited early in their careers figures to be something that will go on for quite a while. Tonight, the two power pitchers will square off against one another for the first time in a game both players are undoubtedly looking forward to. Lucky for us, this probably won’t be the last time we see a Harvey vs. Strasburg pitching matchup. For tonight, and for years to come, it won’t get much better than seeing these two dueling it out on the same mound.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google+.
