Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer moved into 10th place on the career strikeout list, and the most among active pitchers, when the Texas Rangers right-hander recorded his 3,394th on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox.
Scherzer passed his two-time former teammate fellow three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander with his third of the game after Eloy Jiménez took a 93.3 mph fastball for a called third strike in the second inning. Scherzer had matched his former teammate with his second strikeout, when Andrew Vaughn swung and missed an 83.8 mph slider for the final out of the first.
“Pretty incredible. I mean, you look at his career, being in the top 10, that’s pretty special,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said before the game. “This game has been going on for a long time … and he’s one of the best pitchers in the game. And the numbers show that.”
Two days before his 40th birthday, Scherzer was pitching in his 464th career game over 17 big league seasons. Scherzer has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. He was part of World Series titles with the Nationals in 2019 and the Rangers last season.
Scherzer and the 41-year-old Verlander, now with the Houston Astros, were teammates with the Tigers from 2010-14, during a span when both won baseball’s top pitching award, and again with the Mets in 2023 before both were traded midseason. Scherzer was the Cy Young winner in 2013, and then again in 2016 and 2017 with the Washington Nationals. Verlander won that award in 2011, and in 2019 and 2022 with the Astros.
Verlander hasn’t pitched for the Astros since June 9 because of neck stiffness that caused him to go on the injured list. His 519 starts are the most among active pitchers, while Scherzer is second at 455 in two fewer seasons.
It was only Scherzer’s seventh start since offseason back surgery. He exited Saturday against Baltimore after two innings and 53 pitches because of arm fatigue.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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