Max Scherzer’s MLB career is closer to its end than it has ever been before.
The Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher, a no-doubt future Hall of Famer, may not quite be done yet, though.
Scherzer is getting the ball for the Blue Jays on Wednesday as part of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles.
On regular rest, that would mean Scherzer would be making his final appearance of the year — assuming the Blue Jays don’t pull off the miracle of all miracles and somehow rally to make the playoffs.
But the Toronto manager, John Schneider, has hinted Scherzer may get to pitch again this year. And if you’re reading the tea leaves, it all feels a bit like pre-retirement vibes.
Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer Plan
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters on Wednesday that Scherzer could come back on short rest to pitch on Sunday, which would be the final day of the Blue Jays’ season.
Regular rest would take a guy from Wednesday to a Monday start at the earliest, so this would be a special move for Scherzer.
It certainly sounds like the kind of thing you’d do to get a player one final ovation before he rides off into the sunset.
There’s also a discussion about the all-time strikeout leaderboard ongoing. Scherzer is currently 11 strikeouts behind Justin Verlander, who will pitch his final time for the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. If Scherzer gets close to Verlander in his Wednesday start, and then Verlander struggles, Mad Max could make a push to pass him if he pitches on Sunday.
It’s still possible Max Scherzer comes back on short rest to pitch the final day of the #BlueJays season.
I asked John Schneider if they’d be watching Justin Verlander’s strikeout total this weekend (he’s 11 up on Scherzer and pitching Saturday). He laughed and said: “Maybe”
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 23, 2026
Scherzer hasn’t spoken too openly about this during the 2026 season, but in the past, his message has always basically been that he wants to keep playing until he can’t anymore.
Now 42 years old, Scherzer is certainly close to his end as an MLB pitcher, even if it hasn’t quite arrived yet.
Max Scherzer MLB Career
Scherzer is a two-time World Series champion who has won the Cy Young three times.
He’s one of the greatest pitchers of this era, one of the last few bulldog-type starting pitchers to ever do it.
Entering his Wednesday start, Scherzer is 224-125 with a 3.28 ERA across time with the Tigers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Mets, Rangers, Dodgers and Blue Jays.
In his 19-year MLB career, Scherzer has struck out 3,543 hitters, which will finish with him in the top-10 all-time in that stat.
The last two seasons with Toronto have featured ERAs over 5.00, but Scherzer has still shown the ability to occasionally turn back the clock — like he did on August 30 when he threw seven one-hit innings with 10 strikeouts for the Blue Jays against the Mariners.
He’s going to go down as one of the best pitchers to ever toe the rubber in Major League Baseball.
Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer Plan Hints at Retirement