It’s a Shame To See Max Scherzer’s Career End Like This
Max Scherzer has had a rough 2026, and it's becoming increasingly likely that this stretch could spell the end of his Hall of Fame career.
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The 2026 season has not been kind to Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays, and he currently sits on Toronto’s 15-day injured list with forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.
The 41-year-old Scherzer has struggled mightily on the mound this season, and given the injuries that the Jays’ rotation has suffered, he has simply underperformed.
His storied career might be coming to a close after this season, and if he’s not able to put together a solid year, this could be the opposite of a storybook ending for the future Hall-of-Famer.
Scherzer took a one-year, $3 million deal (with $10 million in performance bonuses) to return to Toronto after a strong 2025 season and postseason where he was granted a start in Game 7 of the World Series.
Scherzer deserves the sendoff of a true baseball legend, and hopefully he’s able to get that. However, the baseball gods have thrown a lot of hurdles at him this year that might make it hard to do so, and the Blue Jays are going to have an interesting problem on their hands if he’s able to come back healthy this year.
Scherzer’s Legendary Career
Where does one even start when listing the accomplishments and accolades of a player like Scherzer? It could be his three Cy Young Awards (2014, 2016, 2017), his two World Series trophies (2019, 2023), or maybe even his two no-hitters.
His most legendary accomplishment might just be none of these, but rather a record 20-strikeout performance against the Tigers in 2016 that made him just the fourth pitcher to do so in a nine-inning game.
Scherzer is one of just four pitchers to start at least 28 postseason games since 2000, joining Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Andy Pettitte. With 222 career wins, Scherzer is tied for the 78th-most all-time and he’s got the 11th-most strikeouts in MLB history. He currently sits at 3,499 strikeouts in his career, just one away from becoming the 11th member of the 3,500-strikeout club.
With just 10 more strikeouts, Scherzer would break into the top 10, and if he can come back healthy, he’ll have a great chance of accomplishing that this season.
Having thrown 2,981.2 career innings, it’s the 90th-most in MLB history, and he’s less than 20 innings from joining the 3,000-inning club. He would be the 12th pitcher since 1995 to tally that many innings.
In fact, he’s also put himself in rare company with his wins and losses. Although a pitcher can’t control the offense that the team puts up behind him, Scherzer’s always been one of the best at taking matters into his own hands.
There are only two other pitchers since 1950 (Kershaw, Whitey Ford) with equal or more career wins (222) and equal or fewer career losses (120) as Scherzer, yet again placing him amongst the best in his field.
If this is the end of Scherzer’s career, it’s certainly worth acknowledging the generational career he’s put together.
What Is His Blue Jays Legacy?
Scherzer has endeared himself to Blue Jays fans through his nearly one-and-a-half year tenure in Toronto, throwing 14.1 postseason innings including 8.2 innings in the World Series, including a Game 7 start in which he left it all on the line. In that game, he gave the Jays 4.1 innings of one-run ball in his best outing of the postseason.
However, recent performances may cloud people’s perception of his Blue Jays tenure because of his poor outings this season.
He’s been one of the Jays that just hasn’t turned things around yet, and it’ll be hard for him to find a spot in Toronto’s rotation once he gets back healthy — especially now that Trey Yesavage has made his return from the IL.
Scherzer will have to compete with Patrick Corbin for the final spot in the Jays’ rotation, and it’s going to be unlikely that he’ll crack his way in unless some sort of injury occurs. One of the strangest statistics Scherzer has posted is his first-inning ERA; He posted a 12.96 ERA in the first inning last season, and it sits at a mark of 14.40 in 2026.
In three of his five starts this season, Scherzer has been unable to complete three innings on the mound, and he allowed 17 earned runs over just 6.2 innings in them (22.95 ERA). It’s very hard to see Scherzer in this state, but it’s true that all things must come to an end.
Could This Be It?
Obviously, every season Scherzer pitches in has the potential to be his last, but with his injuries this season it could very realistically be the final year of his career.
Scherzer’s been pitching in MLB for 19 seasons and is one of just 13 pitchers to start at least 450 MLB games since the Wild-Card Era (1995-present). He’s one of the best of his generation, and we should appreciate the opportunity to watch him before he calls it a career.
Many thought that Scherzer was going to retire after the 2025 campaign with the Blue Jays, and if they won the World Series he likely would’ve. However, he instead chose to return to Toronto on a cheaper and more team-friendly contract to give it another shot.
Scherzer hasn’t pitched more than 85 innings in a season since 2023 with the Texas Ranger, and he’s evidently had health problems plaguing him the last few years, so he’s not likely to push anywhere close to the 100-inning mark in 2026.
The Blue Jays’ rotation is currently composed of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Patrick Corbin, and Eric Lauer (for the time being), so Scherzer will have to be amazing when he comes back if he wants a rotation spot.
It’s possible that when Scherzer returns, he gets Lauer’s spot if he’s been ineffective, but it’s also worth noting that José Berríos will be making his return to the Jays very soon. He’s pitched a few outings with Triple-A Buffalo and seems to be very close to getting the call back to the majors.
It just seems like there’s a perfect storm of factors keeping Scherzer from getting his footing back in 2026.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, it seems as though it’ll be tough for Max Scherzer to make a strong comeback this season and keep a rotation spot.
Injury issues, a loaded rotation, and performance problems all seem to be contributing to a situation that seems to be very unfavourable for Scherzer. He’s got a work ethic and focus on the mound that is simply unparalleled, but he’s going to have to fight to make it back this year.
His list of accolades is longer than nearly any other pitcher, and he’s one of the most entertaining personalities in the game. It’s tough to even entertain the idea of this being the end of his career. As long as Scherzer gets his 3,500th career strikeout as a Blue Jay, that might cement his legacy enough in Toronto sports lore alongside his postseason heroics.
He’s had an incredible MLB career, but things just aren’t working out in 2026. If this does end up being it for Max Scherzer, the entire baseball world will tip its cap and give him a standing ovation on his way to the Hall of Fame — there will only ever be one pitcher like Max Scherzer.
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Ethan has been writing for Just Baseball since 2024 and is fascinated by how sabermetric statistics can assist our understanding of outcomes and probability in baseball.…