Max Scherzer is big in name only these days. In his younger days, he was a reliable arm that could dictate the game from the bump. Now, he shows up sparingly in big games, which is the last thing the Toronto Blue Jays need at this juncture. Toronto had a one-game lead over the New York Yankees, entering Wednesday.
Scherzer threw the game away against the Boston Red Sox, giving up 10 hits and four earned runs in the 7-1 loss. The New York Mets all too well how inconsistent Scherzer can be in big moments. The Blue Jays have done way too much work just to fall short due to poor play from Scherzer.
Max Scherzer’s struggles could hold Toronto Blue Jays back in division race
The first inning has been Scherzer’s kryptonite this season. According to Sportsnet, Scherzer has a 12.96 ERA in the first inning this season. That carried over into Wednesday’s game when Scherzer gave up three runs and five hits against the Red Sox. Since 2023, Scherzer has had his ERA hanging around 4.00. Before then, he had five seasons like that since 2018.
Scherzer also had a career-high 5.06 ERA this year, signaling one of his worst seasons in MLB. This isn’t ideal for the Blue Jays, which is why it was more desperate than anything to bring Scherzer in.
Max Scherzer’s pattern of disappearing in big games is hurting his new team
This isn’t a new thing. Scherzer, over the last few years, has been absent in big games, which has been the reason he’s hopped around from several teams over the last few years. The Blue Jays needed serious help with their pitching staff and Scherzer wasn’t the addition they needed. He’s been a let down of an addition this season and it’s going to cost Toronto a potential division title.
It’s even possible that Scherzer’s struggles cost him a spot in the playoff rotation this fall. According to a story in Newsweek, it’s likely that Scherzer loses his spot to budding rookie Trey Yesavage, who had a solid MLB debut. Scherzer doesn’t have a lot of time to prove he’s worth trotting out in the postseason.
Pitchers are far too valuable in the postseason and bad play isn’t tolerable. Scherzer proved that he might not be the answer Toronto wanted him to be. Wednesday was proof he’s not the answer on the mound he used to be earlier in his career.
Scherzer’s struggles against the Red Sox aren’t just a reminder of how bad this season has been for him, rather how bad the end of his career has been. And in the end, it could cost the Blue Jays a shot at the division title and possibly even a playoff run.