5 Reasons Why Max Scherzer & the Blue Jays Are a Perfect Match
Grant White
Host · Writer
The Blue Jays Need to Compete
Since 2016, Blue Jays fans have been chasing the sensation of winning postseason baseball. They've failed to get over the hump in their last three playoff trips, but Max Scherzer is the remedy for those postseason blues.
With two World Series Championships and 30 career playoff starts, Scherzer has cemented his position as the quintessential playoff performer. Those intangibles are hard to develop with a young roster, and he could be the x-factor that pushes the Jays over the edge.
At this point, Scherzer needs the Blue Jays as much as they need him. Locking him up assures the Jays' competitive window stays open and affords Scherzer one last chance to win a championship.
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The Blue Jays Don't Need a Workhorse
It's hard to believe, but pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp in just a few weeks. Most teams are feverishly trying to round out their rosters, while some players still try to prove they deserve a spot on a Major League roster. Up until late Thursday, Max Scherzer found himself in the latter category. All things considered, here's why Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays deserve each other.
Injuries were a factor in Scherzer's underwhelming 2024 campaign. But thankfully, the Blue Jays don't need him to recapture his Cy Young-winning form. Toronto has a stable of top arms in its rotation. Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt stabilize the top of the rotation. All three pitchers totaled at least 171.0 innings pitched last season and are projected to maintain that workload into 2025.
As a result, Scherzer slots in as a back-of-the-rotation arm. That should allow him to maintain a more manageable workload and protect him from potential injuries.
The Blue Jays Need a Mentor
As good as the top of the rotation looks, the Blue Jays also have a handful of talented young pitchers looking to make a more permanent jump to the majors. That allows for a symbiotic relationship, benefitting Max Scherzer and the Jays.
The Blue Jays' youngsters will undoubtedly shoulder some of the workload burden. Whether going to a six-man rotation or using their farm system to yo-yo some of their less established pitchers, the Blue Jays need Bowden Francis, Yariel Rodriguez, and Alek Manoah more MLB reps. But as we've seen, some of their youngsters have also had difficulty getting acclimated to the rigors of the professional level.
There might not be a better pitcher to emulate than Scherzer. The two-time World Series winner finished top-five in Cy Young voting for seven straight seasons. Having him as a clubhouse presence will go a long way for Toronto's developing arms.
Max Scherzer Will Be Insulated By Offense
A decade of unrelenting dominance has given way to three years of deteriorating metrics. While Max Scherzer continues to rank on the top end of the spectrum in certain analytics, he isn't the shutdown pitcher he once was. In that regard, the Blue Jays' offense will insulate Scherzer from needing to be at his best.
Consistency has been a limiting factor for the Jays. But at their best, the AL East contenders have proven to be an offensive juggernaut. Elite run-scoring takes a lot of the pressure off Scherzer, allowing him to perform at optimal levels.
Toronto Needs to Appease Its Fanbase
Like a vintage Max Scherzer curveball, the Blue Jays' last few offseasons have been swing-and-misses. With that, there's increasing pressure to blow off the dust from their wallets and make more significant moves in the free agent market.
Ross Atkins made a move earlier this month, inking Anthony Santander to solidify the Jays' batting order. Still, that move has hardly done enough to satiate the Blue Jays' thirsty fanbase. The Blue Jays have missed out on Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, and now, apparently, Pete Alonso. The Scherzer signing represents a rarely-seen win for the Blue Jays front office.
The Blue Jays Need to Compete
Since 2016, Blue Jays fans have been chasing the sensation of winning postseason baseball. They've failed to get over the hump in their last three playoff trips, but Max Scherzer is the remedy for those postseason blues.
With two World Series Championships and 30 career playoff starts, Scherzer has cemented his position as the quintessential playoff performer. Those intangibles are hard to develop with a young roster, and he could be the x-factor that pushes the Jays over the edge.
At this point, Scherzer needs the Blue Jays as much as they need him. Locking him up assures the Jays' competitive window stays open and affords Scherzer one last chance to win a championship.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
The Blue Jays Don't Need a Workhorse
It's hard to believe, but pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp in just a few weeks. Most teams are feverishly trying to round out their rosters, while some players still try to prove they deserve a spot on a Major League roster. Up until late Thursday, Max Scherzer found himself in the latter category. All things considered, here's why Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays deserve each other.
Injuries were a factor in Scherzer's underwhelming 2024 campaign. But thankfully, the Blue Jays don't need him to recapture his Cy Young-winning form. Toronto has a stable of top arms in its rotation. Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt stabilize the top of the rotation. All three pitchers totaled at least 171.0 innings pitched last season and are projected to maintain that workload into 2025.
As a result, Scherzer slots in as a back-of-the-rotation arm. That should allow him to maintain a more manageable workload and protect him from potential injuries.
