Stephen Strasburg

Strasburg’s arrival translates into sellouts, TV ratings for Nats

How big is Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg?

 He’s big enough to sell out Nationals Park days in advance of his scheduled major league debut Tuesday night.

The 100-mph-fastball pitcher is big enough to catapult ad sales — and rates — on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network for his expected starts this month.

The 21-year-old phenom is even big enough to inspire 249-year-old Strasburg, Va. to rename itself (if only temporarily) Stephen Strasburg, Va.

Simply put, expectations have soared beyond Earth’s gravitational pull and the money is already flowing — all before Strasburg throws his first big league pitch.

No one knows if Strasburg’s on-the-field performance will live up to the hype, but the Nationals are already starting to reap the financial benefits after signing him to a $15.1 million contract — highest ever for a rookie — last August.