Washington Nationals: Max Scherzer joins Walter Johnson

With his 300th strikeout in the 2018 season, Max Scherzer joined a very exclusive club, one that had counted only the immortal Walter Johnson as a member.

The history of Major League Baseball in Washington DC is not exactly a great one. Between the two incarnations of the Washington Senators, and the current Washington Nationals, there has been exactly one championship, coming in 1924. There were plenty of teams from Washington DC in the 1800s as well, but nearly all of them struggled.

Yet, despite that sad history, there had been some excellent players to come through the Nation’s Capital. Players like Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, and Frank Howard called Washington DC home, with other former stars coming and going. The Senators even had one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, the immortal Walter Johnson, arguably the best pitcher in the history of the game.

Such was Johnson’s prowess on the mound, and the relative futility of other teams from that location, that he was the only member of a rather singular club. Johnson was the only pitcher to play for a team in Washington DC to strike out 300 batters in a season, doing so in 1910 and 1912.

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It took over 100 years, but Johnson now has company in that fraternity. With his seventh inning strikeout of Austin Dean, Max Scherzer was able to reach the 300 strikeout plateau as well. This marked the first time in his career that Scherzer was able to reach that milestone.

It is just another accolade in a career that has had its share of recognition. He has been a six time All Star, and won three Cy Young awards. Scherzer was the sixth pitcher to win the award in both leagues, and the fifth pitcher to fire two no hitters in the same season. He struck out 20 batters in a game, the fourth pitcher to reach that mark.

However, for all the accolades, and the history that Scherzer had made, it took until Tuesday night to reach that 300 strikeout mark. He had come close last season, striking out 290 batters, but Johnson was still alone at that mark. Now, even the great Walter Johnson has company, with Scherzer finally reaching that threshold as well.

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer has done something that had not been done by a pitcher from Washington DC in over 100 years – strike out 300 batters in a season. Now he and Walter Johnson will be linked together in baseball history.