It should come as a surprise to no one that Max Scherzer is off to such a tremendous start with his new team, the New York Mets. Mets owner Steve Cohen is committed to bringing a championship to the organization that he not only owns but has been a fan of his entire life. The offseason signing of the 37-year-old free agent Scherzer to a 3-year $130 million contract was a “going for it” move for sure.
Scherzer, and the Mets as a whole, haven’t disappointed their owner, their fans, or baseball enthusiasts in general. Through the first 15 games of the season, the Mets hold the second-best record in baseball (the Dodgers are only slightly ahead in winning percentage at .769 compared to the Mets .733). Sure, it is still early, but going into Saturday’s action, the Mets also already have a 4.0 game lead on the second-place team in their division, the Atlanta Braves. If the teams in the NL East let the Mets get very far out in front, the remainder of the division will be playing for wildcard spots before they know it.
Max Scherzer proving to be worth every cent to New York Mets
As a 3 x Cy Young winner, 8 x All-Star, a World Champion, a future Hall of Famer, and an absolute bulldog on the mound, Scherzer has picked up where he left off last season and throughout his career. With the injury to Jacob deGrom, it has been even more important for Scherzer to be the leader on and off the field for the Mets and he is showing what kind of ace he still can be for the club.
In his first three starts of the season, Scherzer is 3 – 0, with a 2.50 ERA and WHIP of 0.89. His K% is sitting at 33.3% and opponents are batting a dismal .148 against the big righty. If there is a number that Scherzer can improve on, it is his number of walks. In 18 innings he has given 7 free passes and has a BB% of 10.1% which is nearly double last season’s 5.2% and elevated from his career mark of 6.6%.
Two of his first three starts have come on the road. They were against his former team the Washington Nationals, and the power hitting Philidelphia Phillies, before he made his Mets home debut Tues, April 19th against the formidable San Francisco Giants.
Scherzer’s next scheduled start will come Monday, April 25th on the road against the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals.