Legendary Nationals Pitcher Recognized as Part of All-Quarter Century Team

Max Scherzer is fighting Father Time in Toronto. But his greatness with the Washington Nationals will not be forgotten.

The 40-year-old is fighting an injury with the Blue Jays and hasn’t pitched since his first start of the season. Since he was traded to the Texas Rangers at the 2023 deadline, he has spent more time dealing with injuries than throwing the baseball.

But, recently, The Athletic (subscription required) put together its All-Quarter Century Team and the right-hander had a place on the team selected by long-time baseball insider Jayson Stark. Players were selected for their play from 2000-25.

Max Scherzer’s Incredible Washington Nationals Career

Scherzer was already an established veteran pitcher when he arrived in Washington before the 2015 season. He had won an American League Cy Young with Detroit in 2013 and finished in the Top 5 in voting in 2014. He had already pitched in a World Series, too.

He was seen in D.C. as the missing piece of the puzzle to push the Nats toward their own World Series appearance. The deal at the time was huge — seven years and $210 million. Of that, $50 million was in the form of a signing bonus to be paid over 14 years, a bonus the Nationals are still paying.

His first season with the Nats was one of the most exciting individual seasons in franchise history. He announced his arrival by throwing two no-hitters. That made him the sixth pitcher in history with multiple no-hitters in a season. He went 14-12 with a 2.79 ERA and finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting.

In 2016, he returned to domination. He went 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA in 34 starts, with a Major League-leading 284 strikeouts in 228.1 innings. He walked just 56. He won the NL Cy Young, making him one of a handful of players to win a Cy Young in both leagues. He also tied the Major League record with 20 strikeouts in a game.

He claimed the award again in 2017, as he went 16-6 with a 2.51 ERA in 31 starts, including an NL-best 268 strikeouts. He became the 10th pitcher in MLB history to win at least three Cy Young awards.

In 2018 he tossed 300 strikeouts, as he is one of 19 pitchers the modern era to achieve the milestone. He finished second in NL Cy Young voting after he went 18-7 with a 2.53 ERA in 33 starts.

The 2019 season led to the first World Series title in Nationals history, as he went 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA in 27 starts with 243 strikeouts. He pitched Games 1 and 7 of the World Series.

With Washington he went 92-47 with a 2.80 ERA with 1,610 strikeouts and 280 walks. The Nats dealt him to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2021 trade deadline.

But he will always be a legend in Washington.