Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer climbed to ninth place on the all-time strikeout leaderboard on Sunday, surpassing Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, achieved this milestone by striking out Seattle Mariners’ batter Cal Raleigh for his 3,535th career strikeout in the seventh inning.
The enthusiastic crowd of 42,039 erupted in applause when Scherzer’s record was displayed on the scoreboard. Expressing his gratitude, Scherzer acknowledged the significance of moving up in the top 10 all-time strikeout list and appreciated the support from his teammates and fans.
In a dominant performance, Scherzer recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts in the game, marking the 115th time in his career that he achieved this feat. He allowed only one hit over seven innings, securing his first win since the season opener. The 42-year-old pitcher threw 97 pitches, with an impressive 67 of them being strikes.
This exceptional outing by Scherzer made history as only the third time in Major League Baseball that a pitcher aged 42 or older pitched seven or more innings, struck out 10 or more batters, and allowed two or fewer baserunners. Notably, Nolan Ryan accomplished this feat twice in his career, with his last instance dating back to May 1, 1991.
Dubbed “Vintage Max” by his manager John Schneider, Scherzer showcased his prowess by striking out the side in the first inning. His impeccable pitching performance left the opposing team struggling to solve his diverse pitch mix.
Earlier in the month, Scherzer surpassed Walter Johnson to claim the tenth spot on the all-time strikeout list by fanning Kyle Schwarber, his former teammate. Currently, Scherzer stands ahead of another prominent pitcher, Justin Verlander, who holds the eighth position on the leaderboard with 3,554 strikeouts.
Originally selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Scherzer has built an illustrious career, earning eight All-Star selections and winning two World Series titles. Throughout his journey in Major League Baseball, he has also played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers.