Max Scherzer struck out seven over seven-plus innings, snagged his 225th career win, and gave us all a masterclass in how a legend says goodbye in Sunday’s season finale. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1, but honestly, this game was all about Mad Max and whether we just saw him pitch for the very last time.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But Neither Does His Heart
This dude is a beast, right? A two-time World Series champion and a three-time Cy Young Award winner. Even at 42, after turning the big 4-2 back in July, he’s still out there dealing. His record this season might be 4-9, but don’t let that fool you. Scherzer boosted his career strikeout total to an insane 3,557, which puts him at ninth-highest in big league history. Think about that for a second! He’s only three behind his former teammate, Justin Verlander, who just wrapped up his own decorated career on Saturday. Mad Max has always been one of the fiercest competitors in baseball, and his stats prove it.
An Exit Only Max Could Pull Off
The vibe in Toronto was something else. A sellout crowd of 42,131 rose for a standing ovation when Scherzer took the mound alone before the game even started. He stepped off, saluted them with a wave, and you just knew this was special. Then, later in the game, when Blue Jays manager Jon Schneider tried to pull him, what did Max do? He initially refused to leave the mound! Classic Mad Max. He wanted every single pitch. One inning later, he finally did come out, giving Schneider a hug on his walk back to the dugout before doing something truly incredible: jumping into the stands to hug his family. Talk about going out on your own terms.
Scherzer has said he’ll wait until the offseason to decide on retirement, but after Sunday’s emotional exit, it sure feels like he’s leaning towards calling it a career. Whatever he decides, what a way to cap off an incredible run. We’ll be waiting to see what the future holds for this absolute legend of the game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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