Max Scherzer

Maxwell Martin Scherzer, known as "Mad Max," is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Born on July 27, 1984, he has suited up for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers over his MLB career. His résumé includes eight All-Star nods, three Cy Young Awards, two no-hitters, and two World Series rings—one with the Nationals in 2019 and another with the Rangers in 2023. He is widely considered one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game.

The Diamondbacks made Scherzer the 11th overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, and he debuted with them in 2008. A trade sent him to the Detroit Tigers in December 2009. Over five seasons in Detroit, he earned two American League All-Star selections, won the 2013 AL Cy Young Award, and helped the Tigers capture four straight AL Central titles from 2011 to 2014. In 2015, he signed with the Washington Nationals and became the fifth pitcher in MLB history to throw multiple no-hitters in a single season.

On May 11, 2016, facing the Tigers, he tied the major league record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 20, making him only the second player to both throw a no-hitter and fan 20 batters over nine frames. That same game also made him the youngest pitcher to defeat all 30 MLB teams. With the Nationals, Scherzer won the NL Cy Young Award in 2016 and 2017 and was named to the National League All-Star team five times.

During the 2019 World Series against the Houston Astros, Scherzer earned a win in Game 1 and started Game 7, which the Nationals also won (though he received a no-decision), securing the franchise’s first championship. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2021, helping them reach the NLCS, and finished third in NL Cy Young voting that year. After signing with the Mets as a free agent, he was named to the All-MLB Team for the 2022 season. Midway through 2023, the Mets traded him to the Rangers, where he started Games 3 and 7 of the ALCS against the Astros and Game 3 of the World Series, as Texas won its first title.

Scherzer is the fifth pitcher to start an All-Star Game for both leagues. He has led the majors in wins four times and in strikeouts three times. From 2009 to 2018, he made at least 30 starts each season, and from 2012 to 2019, he struck out at least 230 batters every year. In 2017, he became the third-fastest player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts and the fourth to fan 250 or more in four straight seasons.

He recorded more wins (161) and strikeouts (2,452) than any other pitcher in the 2010s. On September 12, 2021, he joined the 3,000-strikeout club, and he currently ranks ninth all-time in strikeouts. In 2023, he became just the fourth pitcher in MLB history to win multiple World Series titles, multiple Cy Young Awards, throw multiple no-hitters, and earn multiple All-Star selections—joining Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, Tim Lincecum, and former teammate Justin Verlander.

As of now, Scherzer is the second oldest active player in MLB, behind Verlander. On June 10, 2026, he became the 11th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,500 career strikeouts.

Scherzer was born in St. Louis to Jan (Shirck) and Brad Scherzer and grew up in the suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri, as a St. Louis Cardinals fan. At Parkway Central High School, he played baseball, football, and basketball. Lacking raw talent, he compensated with a fierce competitiveness that defined his athletic career. High school basketball coach Rick Kirby, who emphasized fundamentals and defense, was a key influence. The Cardinals’ scouting director, Marty Maier, selected him in the 43rd round (1,291st overall) of the 2003 MLB draft, but Scherzer opted not to sign and instead attended the University of Missouri.

Early in his college career at Missouri, Scherzer’s windup was so forceful that his head whip would knock his cap off. Coach Tony Vitello, who helped recruit him, convinced him to pitch with better balance and control, stopping him from leaping at hitters—a habit that often caused him to miss up and in to right-handed batters. He sat out the final 50 days of his freshman season to focus on workouts and long toss, gaining velocity. Vitello and head coach Tim Jamieson drilled him to balance on his back leg without falling over his front foot. Scherzer modified his delivery and worked through the winter, resulting in a 1.86 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 106 innings in 16 games as a sophomore.

After his freshman year in 2004, Scherzer played for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer league. He went 2–1 with a 1.91 ERA and six saves, striking out 50 batters in 33 innings, and was named a mid-season All-Star. As a sophomore in 2005, he won the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Award. On January 9, 2012, he was inducted into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

In the 2006 MLB draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Scherzer with the 11th overall pick, making him Missouri’s first-ever first-round MLB draft pick.