Fansided

25 most important stars for MLB playoffs

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Nationals Park on September 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Nationals Park on September 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

2. Max Scherzer

The postseason failures of the Nationals are obviously well documented, but they will be able to hand the ball to a future Hall of Famer for the Wild Card Game. There aren’t many starters in the league a manager can feel more confident heading into a must-win game than Max Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young is still having one of the best seasons of his career despite dealing with several nagging injuries.

You have to imagine Scherzer has been looking forward to getting back to the postseason for two years straight since his implosion in Game 5 of the 2017 NLDS. The Nationals lost that deciding game to the Cubs 9-8, with Scherzer getting knocked around while pitching in relief on short rest. He entered the game with a 4-3 lead and allowed three hits, a walk, hit a batter and ultimately yielded four runs in an inning.

That’s the type of performance that fuels a fierce competitor like Scherzer. He is supremely capable of dialing up a gem when the pressure is on and he’s fully rested. Logging only 172 innings this year instead of his usual 220-plus should only serve to have him enter the playoffs sharp.

Scherzer matches up well against the strikeout-happy Brewers, who he shut down in a strong six-inning start in May. He picked up 10 strikeouts in that outing and allowed only one earned run. The Nats can’t get their long-awaited playoff series win without getting past the play-in game, but they have the right man for the job in Scherzer.

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