It's A Fine Line

Before we punch Strasburg's ticket to the Hall of Fame, let's take a look back at a few "can't-miss" pitchers who fell a bit short:

1) Mark Prior (5 seasons, 42-29, 3.51 ERA) As a lifelong Cubs fan, this one is especially painful. How many times did we hear the phrase "perfect mechanics" in regards to Prior? Obviously, there is no such thing.

2) Ben McDonald (9 seasons, 78-70, 3.91 ERA) The original Big Ben actually cracked the 200-inning mark three times, though he never sniffed the postseason.

3) Darren Dreifort (9 seasons, 48-60, 4.36 ERA) For his 48 career wins, Dreifort cashed in a cool $64 million. At least he had a good agent.

4) Todd Van Poppel (11 seasons, 40-52, 5.58 ERA) No, that career ERA is not a typo (4.6 walks per 9 innings will do that to a pitcher). Other than a decent season or two out of the pen, Van Poppel was basically pounded from the word go.

5) Brien Taylor & Ryan Anderson (No MLB experience) Years later, it's still hard to believe that neither of these super prospects made it to the majors. Personally, I would have bet serious money that the "Little Unit" was going to be a star. Very sad, as both had the world at their feet.

6) Dwight Gooden (16 seasons, 194-112, 3.51 ERA) We saved the best for last. Obviously, winning 194 games is a huge accomplishment for any pitcher. However, in say 1989, how many wins would you have predicted for Gooden? I'm guessing 300+.

It goes without saying that we're all rooting for Strasburg. Unfortunately, for every Roger Clemens there are countless Todd Van Poppels. I'm afraid the odds are not in his favor.