Top of Nats' rotation as advertised this spring 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Nationals are going to have one of the most dominant trios at the top of their rotation in all of MLB. Following Thursday’s 6-4 victory against the Mets, Nationals manager Dave Martinez revealed how he is planning to line his rotation up beyond Max Scherzer. Stephen Strasburg is in line to pitch the second game of the season, with top free-agent acquisition Patrick Corbin slotted in for the third game.

“I mean, in a three-game series, that’s a pretty good top three,” Martinez said with a smile.

This Nationals rotation should give Martinez plenty reason to smile throughout the season if they can remain healthy. Anibal Sanchez will follow that trio of aces, and Jeremy Hellickson is set to round out the staff. But Strasburg gets the edge over Corbin in the second game for now after another impressive Grapefruit League showing.

Strasburg surrendered just one hit in four scoreless innings against the Mets on Thursday, striking out five with just one walk. He was only scheduled to toss three innings, but after cruising through those frames with a low pitch count, Strasburg returned to the mound for eight to 10 pitches as he retired the side in the fourth.

“He looked great,” Martinez said. “The big thing with Stephen is he’s working on his mechanics, and he’s doing awesome repeating his delivery. ... I like where he’s at right now. I really do.”

Strasburg has not given up a run this spring, and he's held opponents to two hits and seven strikeouts. He has been pleased with how he feels through the first two Grapefruit League outings. His focus has mainly been on his mechanics, an area he struggled to remain consistent in last season when he finished with a 3.74 ERA in 22 starts.

While Strasburg's mechanics have been sharp and his pitches look crisp, his fastball velocity has hovered around 92-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph, still a few ticks down from the high-90s speed from a few years ago. Strasburg’s top-end velocity never returned after he came back from the injured list during the second half of 2018, but neither he nor Martinez seem concerned about it. It’s only Spring Training, but Thursday’s outing offered a glimpse of why Strasburg can get results, regardless of the radar gun.

“I think it’s moreso to see how they are reactive to the ball,” Strasburg said. “If it looks like they are not picking it up too well that’s a benefit for me.”

Added Martinez: “For me, it’s no concern. He was up at 95 today, which is good. I really believe last year at the end [of the season] he learned what he has to do and he learned how to use all his pitches effectively.”