DUNEDIN – Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman shakes out his arm when he thinks back to moving into the batter’s box to face now-teammate Max Scherzer.
Gausman, who was with Baltimore on the time of the 2018 interleague series against Washington, remembers specific details from the matchup.
“I struck out on a change-up and I believed I hyperextended my elbow,” Gausman said. “I believed I used to be throughout it after which it just, you realize, (dropped).”
Scherzer has made a Hall of Fame profession out of keeping batters guessing.
The 40-year-old right-hander, who recently signed a one-year cope with Toronto, said he prides himself on how he has evolved as a pitcher.
“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” Scherzer said Sunday. “Evolving just must be an element of your DNA. You have got to welcome it. That’s what we do.”
A 3-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer relies on a four-seam fastball in a repertoire that features a slider, curve, change-up and cutter.
Combined with a delivery that may feature different looks, Scherzer still appears to have game after 17 big-league seasons.
“Deception is the thing that we are able to’t quantify without delay,” he said. “That’s considered one of the things that I’ve all the time strived (for) is to be deceptive. Hide the ball and don’t let the hitters see it.
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“I feel like that basically bodes well for the pitcher when you’ve gotten a deceptive, funky delivery.”
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“Power” and “funk” were a few of the words Gausman used to explain his first Scherzer experience.
“He sort of hides the ball behind his head and you simply don’t see it,” he said. “His stuff is great too. It’s a combination of that and he’s not going to take it easy on you ever.”
Scherzer, who made his debut in 2008 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is joining his seventh big-league team. He won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and with Texas in 2023.
Back surgery recovery and a nerve issue limited him to nine games last season, but he’s satisfied with how he’s ramping up on the Blue Jays’ player development complex.
“I”m right where I must be,” he said. “I’ll be out here in a live (batting practice) soon after which games after that. As of without delay, I’ve had an important off-season and I’m looking forward to getting back on the market.”
The eight-time all-star joins a formidable rotation of Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios. Bowden Francis is an excellent bet for the fifth spot and Yariel Rodriguez might be stretched out as well.
Scherzer has drawn a crowd for his throwing sessions on the Jays’ player development complex. Pitchers of all ages are keen to glean a bit of info by watching considered one of the sport’s masters.
“We’re fired as much as have every aspect of him,” said Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins. “The competitiveness, the professionalism, what he brings. Obviously the back of the baseball card, it’s the highest.
“There’s not a lot better than Max Scherzer and what he’s achieved.”
Scherzer’s trademark intensity is clear irrespective of if it’s a Game 7 situation or his first throwing session of the spring.
“I actually liked watching him before the pitch clock because he’d strike a man out and he’d walk all the way in which out to second base,” Gausman said. “He’d go on this big circle across the mound and he just had an aura about himself.
“When you weren’t able to go, the sport was already over and you might see it on the opposite side.”
It’s a fierceness that Dave Dombrowski, the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations, knows well. He was the final manager in Detroit when Scherzer was with the Tigers over a decade ago.
“He all the time desires to get well,” Dombrowski said at an MLB media day availability. “He’s the last word. That’s what you’re trying to have in a pitcher.
“He’s the elite, is what he’s.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
