Seven years ago, Max Scherzer got on the mound with a black eye one day in June. The batting practice earlier in the day almost took him out of his start that day with a broken nose, but Scherzer refused. Instead, he pitched as if nothing transpired and struck out 10 batters in 117 pitches. Max Scherzer is built differently, but his story may be coming to an end.

Ever since starting his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, the right-hander has slowly built up his innings and experience. Scherzer really broke out beginning around 2013 with the Detroit Tigers; that was also the first season in which he threw more than 200 innings (214.1 in total). He didn’t throw anything less than 200 innings between 2014 and 2018, and his ERA stayed below 3.00 between 2013 and 2019.

Scherzer didn’t pitch up to 200 innings after his 2018 season, but he still pitched phenomenally for the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Texas Rangers between 2020 and 2023. Outside of the lost pandemic season in 2020, the right-hander pitched more than 145 innings each season, showcasing his resilience.

His workhorse mentality is what made him into the Scherzer we know now. He rightfully earned his nickname, Mad Max, because he simply didn’t give up in any situation. That version of Scherzer also won two World Series with two different teams and recorded three wins, 37 strikeouts and a 2.47 ERA during his 2019 World Series run with the Nationals.

But the wear and tear eventually comes for everyone, and it came for Scherzer as well. The fact that the Missouri native only battled long-term injuries starting in the 2024 season was already a feat. That year, Scherzer was sidelined with a lower back injury and a hamstring strain, limiting him to 43.1 innings.

The injury bug began following him around, and even with the successful 2025 Blue Jays, he only managed to throw 85 innings due to his thumb injury. Scherzer had a nice comeback when he revealed how playing the piano strengthened his thumb for the postseason run that season, but, sadly, injuries still followed him around into this year.

In 2026, the 41-year-old only pitched 22 innings and went on two separate injury stints, which prevented him from contributing to the Blue Jays’ starting rotation. Throwing 2,985 innings in his 18-year career puts Scherzer in the future Hall of Fame. It also means his body has taken a massive toll and endured it gracefully until now.

There is a time for everything; it may just be time for Scherzer to hang it up on his own before he is forced to do so.

That said, the value of Scherzer’s presence and experience can’t be fully translated. He’s taught young players about the game and how he’s navigated his highs and lows from the dugout and off the field. His lessons and encouragement most likely played a part in how the 2025 Blue Jays season played out, even if it couldn’t be measured.

He still has a place on the team, and more players are hungry to learn from him. But at what point does sharing those stories go on to be enough for a team if a pitcher has to remain on the injured list constantly and isn’t able to throw more than 50 innings per season? The truth is, though, that Scherzer himself knows his time better than anyone. He probably senses that his career is coming to an end, and he’s done more than enough.

Not many pitchers can say they’ve accomplished what Scherzer has. He won two championships and three Cy Young awards – that’s only something thousands of pitchers can dream of, only for it to be unattainable in reality.

But every story has its end too, and there’s nothing more beautiful than a man finishing his story on his own terms. Scherzer is a living legend and will become a story everyone tells their friends and families for years to come. A part of his story might be ending now, but a new one is just starting. The sooner Scherzer realizes that, the better it will be for himself.

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