CLEARWATER, Fla. – Earlier than Max Scherzer’s first begin of the spring, he spent a while speaking with John Schneider within the supervisor’s workplace on the crew’s participant improvement complicated.
These pre-game discussions have been a near-daily fixture of the Blue Jays’ 2025 run to the World Sequence, and as quickly as Scherzer arrived in camp this week, they instantly resumed. The conversations sometimes start about baseball trivia, however earlier than lengthy, they veer into completely different subjects with occasional cameos from the likes of outfielder Myles Straw or pitching coach Pete Walker.
“They’re by no means uninteresting,” Schneider stated. “Fairly enjoyable. However yeah, you by no means actually know the place it may go.”
This Saturday, forward of Scherzer’s 2026 Grapefruit League debut, the eight-time all-star remarked to Schneider and Walker that younger pitchers typically throw onerous early in spring. However because the 41-year-old Scherzer instructed Schneider and Walker, he doesn’t really feel the necessity to try this. Higher to ramp up steadily, he stated.
So when Scherzer touched 96 m.p.h. in his first inning of motion since pitching Sport 7 of the 2025 World Sequence, Walker and Schneider joked that they have been stunned to see him come out fairly that scorching.
“I wasn’t anticipating that,” a smiling Schneider stated after the sport in a tunnel at BayCare Ballpark. “I believed he was actually good. He seemed like him – simply in command of what he was doing.”
When Scherzer broke down his outing from a spot close by, his tone was impartial.
“Checked loads of packing containers at present,” he stated. “I really feel good, and I’m trying ahead to my subsequent one.”
In fact, velocity is only one a part of the equation. Though different points of Scherzer’s begin have been equally encouraging, lending credence to his insistence that he’ll be ready on time for Opening Day and including to the sense of optimism across the Blue Jays’ beginning rotation.
“Actually good to see he appears wholesome,” stated catcher Tyler Heineman. “Any time we will get him to be wholesome, we’ve an opportunity to get the perfect out of him. Then, on high of that, simply how sharp he was for it being early March.”
Not solely did Scherzer throw onerous, however he combined in 5 pitches whereas attacking the strike zone. In truth, the very first hitter of the sport examined his repertoire as Trea Turner, his former teammate with the Nationals, grinded out a 10-pitch at-bat earlier than coming out to second base.
As a lot coaching as Scherzer had executed on his personal in current weeks, he good points much more from the problem of dealing with a two-time batting champion like Turner.
“To get right into a battle with him is nice,” Scherzer stated. “You possibly can’t simulate that. That’s a sport scenario. Like, okay, that’s a 10-pitch at-bat. Now, what do you do on the eleventh pitch with the following hitter? You’ve bought to be executing in that spot. You possibly can’t chill out. In order that’s the stuff you simply can’t replicate, and that’s why it’s good to be out right here in spring.”
As Turner circled again in the direction of the Phillies’ dugout, he and Scherzer exchanged just a few phrases.
“Yeah, we had a little bit enjoyable inside joke happening,” Scherzer stated. “It’s time.”
From there, Scherzer settled in, averaging 94 m.p.h. together with his fastball, up from the 93.6 m.p.h. he averaged in 2025 and forward of the place he was in his current bullpen periods.
He was environment friendly together with his pitches, needing solely 40 to cowl 4 innings in opposition to a Phillies lineup together with regulars like Turner, Alec Bohm and Adolis Garcia. Some robust defence helped, together with one more spectacular play by minor-league shortstop Josh Kasevich, who continues to impress. And whereas Scherzer struck out only one hitter, he did generate six swinging strikes on a day his change-up was particularly efficient.
“It simply exhibits that he was doing what he wanted to do earlier than we signed him,” Schneider stated. “The work right here was actually good.”
“I believed he was nice,” added Heineman. “His areas have been actually good.”
The best way Schneider sees it, Scherzer’s velocity and breaking stuff are forward of the place they have been this time final yr. Extra importantly, although, Scherzer believes he’s discovered a method across the thumb challenge that sidelined him for stretches throughout the first half of the 2025 season.
“It was at this level final yr that the thumb got here again into play,” Scherzer recalled.
A yr later, there’s a big distinction.
“It simply doesn’t damage my arm,” Scherzer stated. “I can handle this. It permits my arm to be regular and now I can pitch regular.”
From right here, Scherzer will proceed increase quantity past 40 pitches whereas additionally working to sharpen up his location and pitch shapes – all customary stuff for pitchers at this level within the spring.
There’s nonetheless work to do with almost three weeks remaining earlier than opening day, but Saturday’s outing answered some questions on Scherzer’s timeline to the large leagues. After the best way he dealt with the Phillies so effectively, any dialog in regards to the opening-day roster is incomplete with out the three-time Cy Younger winner.
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