Stephen James Strasburg (born July 20, 1988 in San Diego, California) is an American baseball player. He is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played baseball in college at San Diego State University. While playing at San Diego State, Strasburg threw a no hitter against the Air Force Academy. The Nationals drafted him with the first pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. Strasburg signed a contract to play for the Nationals for four years while being paid more than 15 million dollars. After signing his contract, Strasburg began pitching in the minor leagues. Most people did not expect Strasburg to stay in the minor leagues for very long, though. Strasburg played very well in the minor leagues. His earned run average (ERA) for the Syracuse Chiefs, which was the final minor league team he played for, was only 1.08.