Max Scherzer just added another line to his Hall of Fame resume.
The Blue Jays right-hander struck out his 3,500th career batter Wednesday, becoming just the 11th pitcher in MLB history to reach the mark. The list ahead of him reads like a museum exhibit. Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Walter Johnson, and Greg Maddux. That is it.
Scherzer is the only active pitcher within shouting distance of 4,000.
The milestone strikeout came on a slider down and away in the fifth inning of a Blue Jays win. The crowd at Rogers Centre stood for a long ovation, and Scherzer tipped his cap. He has been chasing this number quietly for two years, and the rest of his rotation went out of their way to make sure he got the moment.
What is wild about this is that Scherzer was supposed to be done.
Five years ago, the consensus around baseball was that he was on the back half of his career and likely to fall off quickly. He has had multiple injury scares, including a back issue and a forearm strain that briefly threatened a comeback. Through all of it, he just kept showing up. He kept missing bats. He kept eating innings.
The Blue Jays signed him in part for moments like this. Toronto was looking for a veteran ace presence to round out the rotation behind their younger arms, and Scherzer’s competitive edge was exactly what they wanted in their clubhouse. The strikeout milestone is a nice bonus.
The Hall of Fame conversation around Scherzer was already settled. He has three Cy Young awards, two no-hitters, multiple All-Star selections, and now a 3,500 strikeout club membership. He goes in on the first ballot. The only question is what kind of percentage he gets.
The other interesting question is how much longer he plays. Scherzer is 41 years old and still operating at a level most starters his age never reach. He is making competitive money. His body has held up so far. There is no obvious reason for him to retire after this season.
4,000 strikeouts is theoretically possible, although it would require him to pitch into his mid 40s at a level no one has ever maintained. The realistic target is probably finishing his career around 3,750 to 3,800, which still puts him in the top eight all time depending on how you count.
For the Blue Jays, the bigger story might be the contract value. Scherzer has earned every dollar of his deal so far. The strikeout milestone is just the latest reminder of why Toronto’s front office was willing to spend on a starter who was supposed to be in decline.
The list of pitchers with 3,500 strikeouts is now 11 names long. Scherzer belongs on it. The fact that he is still adding to it at his age makes the achievement even more impressive.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
