Blue Jays Take Significant Place in Max Scherzer’s Legendary Career

Max Scherzer has a glide path to Cooperstown. But his milestone on Saturday night took a lifetime to reach.

Scherzer reached the Top 10 in all-time strikeouts in Major League history against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, as he struck out Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning.

With that strikeout, he broke a tie with Walter “Big Train” Johnson for 10th place on the list at 3,515 strikeouts.

Scherzer and the Blue Jays were winning when he left the game with one out in the sixth. He gave up five hits, two earned runs and no walks against four strikeouts. Philadelphia got to the Blue Jays’ bullpen for four runs in the sixth inning and took the lead.

But no matter the result, it was Scherzer’s night in the spotlight.

Max Scherzer's Place in MLB History

More history for Mad Max 🙌 #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/wfp88JTm7x
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 9, 2026

Scherzer’s 3,516 career strikeouts break down like this. He broke in with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 and spent two seasons there. He finished with 240 strikeouts.

He was traded in the 2009 offseason to Detroit, and he spent five seasons with the Tigers. Alongside Justin Verlander — who is No. 8 on the all-time list — he had 1,018 strikeouts, the second most of his career. He also won his first Cy Young award.

In the 2015 offseason he signed a free agent deal with the Washington Nationals and spent seven seasons with the Nats, where he won two of his three Cy Young awards and a 2019 World Series ring. He also had 1,610 strikeouts, his most with any team.

At the 2021 trade deadline the Nats traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had 89 strikeouts before he signed with the New York Mets for the 2022 season. He was dealt by the Mets in mid-2023 to the Texas Rangers. He had 294 strikeouts with the Mets.

Scherzer helped the Rangers win the 2023 World Series and played for the franchise in 2024. He missed time in both seasons due to injuries and only had 93 strikeouts.

He signed with Toronto before the 2025 season and re-signed with them this spring. He’s dealt with long injury list stints both seasons and has just 105 strikeouts with the Blue Jays.

Along the way he led the Majors in strikeouts twice times, including a 300-strikeout season in 2018. Not including the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, he had 200 or more strikeouts in nine straight seasons from 2012-21.

It’s not impossible for Scherzer to move up. Gaylord Perry is at No. 9 at 3,534 strikeouts and Verlander is at No. 8 at 3,554 strikeouts. Verlander has yet to return from the Tigers’ injured list and will retire at the end of the season. Scherzer hasn’t said what his plans are for next year.

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