Updated: Monday, October 19, 2020 5:10 AM ET, Park Factors 3rd: 79p And Scherzer has already had a number of close calls. [2] Schlereth is a walk machine (7.36/9 in MiLB). What’s not debatable is that, over the past three years or so, Scherzer has been the pitcher most likely to do something incredible in any given outing. However, they also noted that “some scouts who saw Scherzer as a starter at midseason wondered what the fuss was about.” His heater sat in the low-90’s, and “his overall stuff, command, feel and delivery all drew questions.” A dominant showing in relief in the Arizona Fall League (18 K in 12.2 IP) seemed to reinforce the concept that Scherzer could end up as a closer instead of a starter. We hoped you liked reading How Mariners’ Rule 5 Pick Brandon Brennan Is Like Max Scherzer by Devan Fink! The shoulder is all that I’m worried about from Scherzer. He had a tOPS+ of 86 from pitch 101 and on. Excluding his wretched start to the season – he had a WHIP over 2.00 in five April starts – Scherzer’s season looks even better with a K% of 31 percent, an ERA of 3.14, and 1.16 WHIP in his 27 subsequent starts. He’s one of those guys who due to “quality of stuff” and some “wildness” couldn’t ‘pitch to contact’ even he wanted to (or even if the philosophy existed in reality). And the resume is already outstanding. In moving from Chase Field to Comerica Park, Scherzer goes from a hitter’s paradise to a park that still favors offense, though not to the same extent. We hoped you liked reading Max Scherzer: More Than Meets The Eye by Dan Wade! With a 3.88 xFIP, Scherzer placed in the top 20 among NL starters. It’s also possible that he went “all out” on his last 20 pitches knowing that he was coming out at 100 pitches too. Scherzer began the 2008 season starting at Triple-A Tucson of the Pacific Coast League, but he was summoned to the majors in late April. pic.twitter.com/nGEU8iiM5E. I expect his BABIP to drop from .333, but if he continues to yield line drives at an alarming rate, there’s just no guarantee of that. At the end of the day, there are a number of arbitrary factors that go into a no-hitter. Max Scherzer WSN SP R Born: 07/27/1984 (Age: 36) FanGraphs Player Page. The good news is that Scherzer saw a huge upturn in his swinging strike rate, which is more stable than an unforeseen jump in his called strike rate. Schlereth is walk heavy, and is behind Zavada, Slaten, and Schoenweiss as lefties in AZ’s pen. January 21, 2015: Washington Nationals signed free agent RHP Max Scherzer. Scherzer kept sharp by pitching for the independent Fort Worth Cats. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. To recap his extensive injury history since 2006: shoulder and biceps tendinitis in ’06, shoulder inflammation in 2008, shoulder fatigue and tightness in 2009. Along with the “Inverted L” of the Carpenters & BJ Ryan’s of the world, it’s generally considered a high risk of injury motion. Lefties, on the other hand, mangled him: He struck out “just” 25 percent of them and allowed a downright respectable .831 OPS. Please support FanGraphs by becoming a member. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Whew-got all that? And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous. as distributed by STATS. Scherzer’s fastball had a +0.63 run value per 100 pitches, and his slider bucked knees for a +3.79 mark. One frequent topic of debate this season is whether Max Scherzer has overtaken Clayton Kershaw as the majors’ best pitcher. Among starting pitchers who’ve thrown at least 500 pitches this season, only Alex Wood (.236) — Alex Wood! 5th: 125p . He also pitched better the 3rd time through the order than he did the 2nd time through the order. He started his career in the High-A California League, scorching hitters for a 30/2 K/BB ratio and a 0.53 ERA in 17 IP and quickly earning a promotion to the Double-A Southern League.