Max Scherzer Joins Exclusive Club of MLB Pitchers After Blue Jays ALCS Win

The Toronto Blue Jays have bounced back in a big way in the ALCS and Max Scherzer is a big reason why.

Sep 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) watches the ball being retrieved after giving up a single to Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays had the wind knocked out of them right off the bat in this American League Championship Series with the Seattle Mariners.

The team left their home field down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series to take on the Mariners in Seattle. With how the Jays looked in those first two games it seemed like this series might be over quickly.

However, the Blue Jays bounced back with a massive chip on their shoulder. They took Game 3 in a dominating fashion with five homers on 18 hits to get themselves on the ALCS board. Game 4 gave Toronto a chance to even the series and it started with Max Scherzer on the mound for the Jays.

Scherzer has experience in the postseason. He is the definition of a veteran as this is his 11th postseason in the majors in his 18th career season (first with Toronto). After his victory on Thursday he etched himself in MLB history as the fourth pitcher to win an ALCS game at 41-years-old or older and the first to do so since Kenny Rogers in 2006.

This isn't the only aspect that put Scherzer in the record books. He is now fifth on the leaderboard for career postseason strikeouts with 176. If the Jays stay alive this season he could move up to No. 4 as he only trails Andy Pettitte by seven.

Scherzer in Game Four Victory

Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Scherzer finished nearly six innings before his time was over against the Mariners. He stayed on for the first two outs of the sixth inning despite the Jays' manager, John Schneider, trying to pull him in the fifth. Scherzer was not coming out of the game with all that was on the line, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

John Schneider on his early mound visit to Max Scherzer:

“I’ve been waiting for that moment since our first zoom call in the offseason.”

“I thought he was going to kill me. It was great.” #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) October 17, 2025

The second inning was the biggest hiccup of the night when he threw an 85MPH change up to Josh Naylor who pummeled it for a home run. But, Scherzer bounced back with scoreless innings until his time was done to complement five strikeouts.

His fastball at the top of the zone was his best pitch of the night, but his curveball was deadly even though that is normally his fourth-best pitch. Four of his five strikeouts came with the curve. He was throwing the ball harder than he has all year as his velocity ranged anywhere from 94-96 at the top of the box.

Max Scherzer was NOT coming out of this game 😳

Facing his next hitter, he picks up the strikeout to end the 5th! pic.twitter.com/EbVoGMOno8

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2025

One couldn't have asked for a better start from the future Hall-of-Famer. His confidence was there and the offense fed right off of it. The Jays had 11 hits, a pair of homers, and eight runs scored by the time the night was over.

The Blue Jays now have a tied series and have guaranteed that this series will finish out at Rogers Centre in Toronto thanks to a Scherzer victory. Game five kicks off on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle where the Jays will try to take the lead in the series.