Blue Jays' Max Scherzer Improves Breaking Ball Just as Season Ends

The veteran's slider has declined, however another pitch has taken it's place.

Max Scherzer delivers a pitch during the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once upon a time, Max Scherzer paired his slider with a dominant fastball to become one of the best pitchers of his era.

During his 300-strikeout season in 2018, Scherzer threw 577 sliders, holding hitters to a .195 batting average and .353 slugging percentage while generating a 46.6% whiff rate, according to Statcast.

But that was nearly a decade ago, and Scherzer’s slider has been getting punished in 2026. Hitters are batting .299 and slugging .657 against the pitch. For perspective, Aaron Judge hit .284 with a .627 slugging percentage during his 52-home-run rookie season in 2017. In other words, the average hitter facing Scherzer’s slider this year has produced a batting line that, in those two categories, trump what Judge did during one of the greatest rookie power seasons ever.

While his once-reliable slider has lost its effectiveness, Scherzer’s curveball has become a bigger part of his arsenal. It may not have rescued his bloated season ERA, but it does show that an old dog can learn new tricks.

The Curveball Is Picking Up the Slack

Max Scherzer tosses the ball before the game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2026, hitters are batting .224 and slugging just .327 against Scherzer’s curveball. At his peak, Scherzer generally threw the pitch less than 10% of the time, but that usage has climbed to 14% this season. It is now his third-most-used secondary pitch, behind only his slider (17.1%) and changeup (15%).

One possible explanation is Scherzer’s changing arm angle. In 2020, he released the pitch from a 24-degree arm angle, according to FanGraphs, but that figure has gradually climbed and now sits around 37 degrees. The higher slot could help create a more vertical break on the curveball, whereas his lower three-quarters delivery in Washington benefitted his fastball and slider more.

The change has not come with a dramatic increase in spin rate. In 2020, Scherzer’s curveball averaged 2,782 rpm, compared with 2,704 rpm in 2026. That suggests the arm-angle change may be less important than how Scherzer is actually using the pitch.

Scherzer has increasingly used the curveball as a strikeout pitch to expand the zone. In one example, he gets Willson Contreras to chase a curveball near the dirt after first locating a fastball at the bottom of the strike zone.

Scherzer has also shown a willingness to use the curveball within the zone earlier in counts. In this example, he drops the pitch at the bottom of the strike zone and gets Pete Alonso to fly out to left field.

Fans might not get many more opportunities to watch Scherzer use his revamped curveball. With the 42-year-old potentially making his final start of the season this weekend, the pitch could have a few more chances to generate chases and weak contact before the conversation eventually shifts from what Scherzer can still do on a mound to when his plaque will hang in Cooperstown.