Washington Nationals (2015–2021)
On January 21, 2015, Scherzer agreed to a contract with the Washington Nationals, with Mike Rizzo as the general manager. The contract was for seven years and $210 million ($285.2 million today); it included a $50 million signing bonus to be paid out over 14 years, the largest deferral in MLB history. At the time, Scherzer owned a 91–50 W–L with a 3.58 ERA in seven seasons with Arizona and Detroit. On January 22, it was reported that the contract also specified for Scherzer's salary to be $10 million in 2015, and $15 million in each of the next three seasons. It increases to $35 million a year in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the seasons in which his deferrals begin. In addition, his contract includes several award incentives, as well as a no-trade clause.
Scherzer made his regular season debut for the Nationals as their Opening Day starting pitcher versus the New York Mets on April 6, 2015. He struck out eight over 7+2⁄3 innings in a 3–1 loss. On June 14, 2015, he pitched his second career complete game, ceding one hit and one walk in a 4–0 shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. He accrued six perfect innings before Carlos Gómez, leading off the seventh inning, fought off a 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) fastball for a bloop single to right field inches past the outstretched glove of second baseman Anthony Rendon. Scherzer's 16 strikeouts established a new personal best and a Nationals team record for one game, surpassing Stephen Strasburg's effort of 14 versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 8, 2010. Rated with a game score of 100, Scherzer's mark was the 12th time in MLB history such a score or higher had been achieved.
Six days later, Scherzer no-hit the Pirates 6–0 at Nationals Park for his first career no-hitter. After retiring the first 26 batters, he came within one strike of a perfect game, only to hit the 27th batter, José Tábata, who appeared to lean into the pitch. Scherzer secured the no-hitter by retiring the next batter, Josh Harrison, on a fly ball. It was the 13th time that the 27th and presumably final batter disrupted a perfect game in progress. The game score was 97, the second occasion on the season where Scherzer had achieved a game score of at least 97. It was a feat previously accomplished just twice, first by Nolan Ryan in 1990 and then Pedro Martínez in 2000.
The 100th win of Scherzer's career occurred on June 26 in a 5–2 victory versus the Philadelphia Phillies; he allowed both runs over eight innings. It was his third consecutive start where he did not allow any baserunners for the first five innings. In June, Scherzer's ERA was 1.79 during which he was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive month. Spanning his last three starts in June, he registered 24 consecutive scoreless innings, retired 52 consecutive batters without allowing a hit, struck out 33, and completed 26 of a possible 27 innings.
Scherzer was selected to that year's All-Star Game via players' vote. However, he was unavailable for the game as he had already started on the Sunday before the All-Star break. Prior to the start, his season totals included a 2.12 ERA, 143 strikeouts, and two complete-game shutouts.
Over a win-less streak of seven starts beginning July 30, Scherzer allowed a 6.08 ERA, seven walks, 11 home runs, a .305/.335/.587 line against and struck out 53 in 40 innings pitched. He earned his 12th win of the season versus Miami on September 14 with eight shutout innings in a 5–0 win.
On October 3, Scherzer achieved his second career no-hitter, and second of the season, versus the Mets, striking out a new career-high 17 batters with no walks. The only base runners permitted were Kevin Plawecki via a throwing error by Yunel Escobar and Daniel Murphy via a force out of Plawecki in the same inning.
Several baseball analysts and pundits debated the game as one of the greatest pitching performances of all time, and perhaps the most dominant no-hitter ever pitched, based on the number of strikeouts, lack of walks issued or hit batters, and sheer mastery of the opposing batting order the third time through the lineup. At one point, Scherzer had struck out nine consecutive Mets, just one shy of the Major League record set by Tom Seaver in 1970. It tied Nolan Ryan for most strikeouts in a no-hitter, was the first no-hitter produced with at least 17 strikeouts and no walks, and made Scherzer the sixth pitcher in MLB history to record multiple no-hitters in one season. With a game score of 104, it was the second-highest achieved on record and made Scherzer the first to achieve multiple game scores of at least 100 in the same season. That game won the 2015 Esurance MLB Award for Best Performance.
Because of his three most brilliant performances that season, Scherzer became the first to assemble three-game scores of 97 or higher in one season since at least 1914. Ryan and Walter Johnson (1918) were the only two other pitchers to carry out three-game scores of 95 or more in one season. In a season that also featured mammoth offensive accomplishments from NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bryce Harper, the Nationals were eliminated from the playoff contention with a week remaining.
Scherzer finished the 2015 season with a 2.79 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out 276 batters against only 34 walks for an MLB-leading 8.12 K:BB ratio. He also led all major league pitchers in first-strike percentage (73.3%). Despite these exceptional numbers, Scherzer was often the victim of poor hitting support compiling only a 14–12 record.
On May 11, 2016, Scherzer struck out 20 Detroit Tiger batters, to tie the record for strikeouts over nine innings in a single game, held by Roger Clemens (twice), Randy Johnson, and Kerry Wood. Scherzer became the first pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a regulation game in the 21st century. He accomplished the feat and earned the win in a matchup with former Nationals teammate Jordan Zimmermann; the final score was 3–2. Scherzer joined Johnson as the only pitchers to have performed both a 20 strikeout game and a no-hitter during their careers. Nine of the strikeouts ended on three-pitch at-bats. Of 119 total pitches discharged, 96 were for strikes; Scherzer did not deliver more than 16 in any inning. It was the first time in history that in any game of 125 or fewer pitches delivered, 96 or more were strikes. It was the third occasion that Tiger manager Brad Ausmus was on the losing side of a 20-strikeout game; the first two were as a player. It was also Scherzer's first career victory versus Detroit, positing him as the 17th hurler to earn a win against all 30 MLB teams.
On July 8, 2016, Scherzer was named to the National League squad at the All-Star Game in San Diego as a roster replacement for teammate Stephen Strasburg, who was recently activated from the DL. Scherzer performed in relief in the sixth inning, allowing no baserunners. His batting achievements for the season included a career-best 12 RBI, which ranked second among major league pitchers to Adam Wainwright with 18.
Scherzer was named the National League Cy Young Award winner on November 16, 2016, winning his second Cy Young Award on the strength of a 20–7 record, 2.96 ERA, MLB-leading 284 strikeouts, and an MLB-leading 0.968 WHIP. He became just the sixth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win the award in both the American and the National Leagues. He won two of the 2016 Esurance MLB/This Year in Baseball Awards: for Best Pitcher, and his 20-strikeout game won for Best Performance.
Scherzer committed to play for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. However, in early January 2017, he withdrew from the tournament after suffering a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. Due to the stress fracture, which delayed his start to spring training, Scherzer was unavailable to start Opening Day for the Nationals in 2017. Nonetheless, he avoided spending any time on the disabled list to start the season. On May 14, 2017, he pitched his first career immaculate inning, striking out César Hernández, Odubel Herrera, and Aaron Altherr on nine pitches in the fourth inning versus Philadelphia. It was the 84th immaculate inning in the major leagues, and second in Nationals' history, following Zimmermann's versus the Florida Marlins in 2011. In a 2–1 win versus the Dodgers on June 6, Scherzer struck out 14. He obtained the first 10 outs of the game via strikeout despite his throwing error on a pickoff attempt, two walks allowed, and a passed ball by Matt Wieters.
On June 11, Scherzer became the third-fastest pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts (after Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw) by striking out Nomar Mazara of the Texas Rangers. Scherzer also reached the 2,000 plateau in the third-fewest innings (1,784), behind Pedro Martínez (1,711+1⁄3) and Randy Johnson (1,733+1⁄3). Scherzer attained 7+1⁄3 no-hit innings versus the Marlins on June 21 until A. J. Ellis hit a comebacker that tipped off Scherzer's glove and trickled toward shortstop Trea Turner for Miami's first hit. Scherzer had struck out 11 and allowed one walk to that point in the contest. He won the NL Pitcher of the Month Award for June, allowing 14 hits and four earned runs for a 0.99 ERA throughout 36+1⁄3 innings through five starts. His record was 3–2 and he struck out 51 for an average of 12.63 per nine innings.
Named to his fifth MLB All-Star Game, Scherzer was NL manager Joe Maddon's selection as the squad's starting pitcher, making him the oldest starter in that lineup. He became the fifth pitcher to start at least one All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues. At the time of his selection, he consolidated a 10–5 record and an NL-leading both with a 2.10 ERA and 173 strikeouts. The game was played at Marlins Park in Miami; he tossed 15 pitches over one scoreless inning and struck out Aaron Judge and George Springer.
On August 1, Scherzer hit his first career home run, a three-run blast off Chris O'Grady of the Marlins, but left the game shortly thereafter with neck spasms. The neck issues recurred, and the club placed Scherzer on the disabled list for the first time since 2009, retroactive to August 15. He was removed from his next start on August 18 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park as the neck issue came back. Scherzer returned to the rotation on August 28 earning a win against the Marlins.
On September 19, Scherzer recorded 250 strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season, making him the fourth pitcher in major league history to do so, following Ferguson Jenkins, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martínez. Scherzer rebounded from an 8–2 loss with seven runs and six walks allowed to Atlanta in his previous start, to strike out seven and with five hits and one walk allowed over seven innings in a 4–2 win, also against Atlanta.
Scherzer finished the 2017 season with a 16–6 record and a 2.51 ERA. He led the National League with 268 strikeouts, a 0.90 WHIP, and a .178 batting average against. Scherzer also became the 3rd starting pitcher in MLB history to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (268) as hits allowed (126) (first accomplished by Pedro Martinez in the 2000 season with 284 strikeouts and 128 hits, followed by Randy Johnson in 2001 with 372 strikeouts and 181 hits, and later also accomplished by both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019). Incredibly Scherzer barely missed accomplishing this ultra-rare feat in the following 2018 season, where he recorded 300 strikeouts and only 150 hits allowed. In 2017, Scherzer also led the majors in giving up the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls (26.5%).
End of season awards for Scherzer included selection as a starting pitcher on Baseball America's All-MLB Team. Scherzer also won the 2017 National League Cy Young Award—his third—making him the tenth pitcher in history to win at least three. He was the Players Choice Award winner for National League Outstanding Pitcher, the second of his career. He was also elected to the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame in late 2017, along with Mike Trout and David Wright. He had his number 51 jersey retired by the Scottsdale Scorpions. His AFL achievements included a 2.13 ERA in eight games in 2017 and a 3.38 ERA over four starts in 2008.
Before the 2018 season, Sports Illustrated graded Scherzer as the top pitcher, and fourth-best overall player in baseball, following Trout, Jose Altuve, and Kris Bryant. In his first 98 starts with the Nationals from 2015 to 2017, Scherzer accumulated the most innings, strikeouts, and pitching WAR. He began a game with at least five hitless innings 11 times, including successfully concluding two no-hitters. He made his third Opening Day start for Washington and struck out seven consecutive Cincinnati Reds batters on the way to a 2–0 win. He set a club Opening Day record with ten batters struck out overall. While playing Atlanta on April 9, he stole his first career base in the seventh inning, versus pitcher Peter Moylan and catcher Kurt Suzuki. On the mound, Scherzer gained a complete-game shutout, the fifth of his career. He struck out 10 and allowed two hits and no walks. He earned the NL Pitcher of the Month Award in April while leading the league in strikeouts (57) and wins (4), and ranking fourth in each of ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.82) and opposing batting average (.165).
On May 6, Scherzer became the first pitcher in major league history to produce 15 strikeouts in one game in 6+1⁄3 innings (19 outs) or fewer, doing so versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Twelve consecutive outs occurred via strikeout, including striking out the side in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. It was the second-longest such streak in major league history, his fifth career 15-strikeout game, and the 69th with at least 10. He made his following start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he struck out 11 batters and hit an RBI double for the go-ahead run in the fourth inning that furnished a 3–1 Nationals victory. In a May 19 start versus the Dodgers, Scherzer struck out 13, including dispatching his 100th of the season in 63 innings. It eclipsed Kerry Wood's record for fewest innings to reach 100 strikeouts with 65+2⁄3 which happened in 2001. Still the Nationals lost the game, 4–5, off a blown save by Sean Doolittle.
With a 2–0 win over Baltimore on May 30, Scherzer procured career win number 150, while striking out 12 over eight shutout innings. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for May—his second consecutive monthly award—after going 4–0 with a 2.21 ERA and a league-leading 63 strikeouts. Entering as a pinch hitter in the 14th inning on June 2 versus the Braves, Scherzer singled for his first career pinch-hit and scored the go-ahead run on a triple by Wilmer Difo in a 5–3 victory. In the June 5 contest versus the Tampa Bay Rays, Scherzer settled his second career immaculate inning, striking out Johnny Field, Christian Arroyo and Daniel Robertson in the sixth inning. He joined Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, and Sandy Koufax as the only (at the time) MLB pitchers to have recorded multiple immaculate innings in a career. Scherzer allowed both runs as earned, five hits, and finished with 13 strikeouts as the Nationals won 4–2, improving his record to 10–1, the first in the major leagues with 10 wins.
In his four next starts, Scherzer lost three times as the Nationals' offense was shut out each time. He lost another outing, 4–3, to the Boston Red Sox on July 2 while collecting his 1,000th strikeout since joining Washington. It vested him as the 11th pitcher in major league history to reach 1,000 strikeouts with two different clubs. He was selected as the NL starting pitcher in the All-Star Game, played at Nationals Park, for his third starting assignment. After allowing a home run to Aaron Judge, Scherzer became the third All-Star Game starter within the previous 30 years to strike out at least four batters. He got his 200th regular season strikeout in 2018 on July 27 versus the Marlins, retiring Justin Bour with a swinging strikeout, to gridlock with Walter Johnson and Roger Clemens with seven consecutive seasons of 200 or more strikeouts. The three trailed Seaver as the all-time leader with nine consecutive seasons.
On August 12, Scherzer pitched 7 strong shutout innings, striking out 11 while giving up just three hits and one walk during a primetime night game at Wrigley Field. Once again however, he was awarded a no-decision. Up 3–0 in the bottom of the ninth, Nationals pitcher Ryan Madson hit two batters and gave up an infield single before issuing a "golden homer" – a 2 out, 2 strike, walk-off grand slam to Cubs rookie David Bote. After the game Scherzer spoke on the loss, saying "I mean, it's a gut punch".
On September 25, Scherzer reached 300 strikeouts on the season, striking out Austin Dean of the Miami Marlins in a 10-pitch at-bat in the seventh inning of a 9–4 Nationals win.
For the 2018 season, Scherzer was 18–7 with a 2.53 ERA. He threw 3,493 pitches, more than any other major league pitcher. He finished second in Cy Young Award voting, behind Jacob deGrom.
Scherzer started for the Nationals on Opening Day 2019 against Jacob deGrom of the Mets at Nationals Park.
On April 26, Scherzer became the 35th pitcher in Major League history to record 2,500 career strikeouts, getting Manuel Margot of the San Diego Padres looking on three pitches in the seventh inning. He became the third-fastest to achieve the feat based on innings pitched (2155+1⁄3), trailing Johnson and Martínez.
On June 18, Scherzer suffered a broken nose after a ball struck him in the face while bunting in batting practice. Nevertheless, he made his scheduled start the next day against the Philadelphia Phillies. With discoloration near his right eye, he threw 117 pitches and struck out 10 Phillies hitters over seven scoreless innings as the Nationals won 2–0. In a start on June 30, he faced his former team, the Detroit Tigers. It was the first time he pitched against Detroit at Comerica Park since joining the Nationals, and the first since the 20-strikeout game in 2016. This time, he struck out 14 while allowing four hits over eight innings in a 2–1 win for his 90th career double-digit strikeout game.
En route to a historic performance, Scherzer went 6–0 over six starts and 45 innings in June. He became the fourth pitcher since 1920 to post an ERA of 1.00 or lower while logging at least 68 strikeouts in one calendar month. It was also the first time since 1908 that any pitcher had struck out at least 68 batters while issuing five or fewer walks in one calendar month. After producing two more games with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks issued, Scherzer had authored 24 such contests, third-most in history. He was named NL Pitcher of the Month for the sixth time.
Scherzer was named to the National League team at the All-Star Game in Cleveland, his seventh consecutive all-star selection. He spent time on the injured list starting in July due to bursitis in his right scapula and a strain on the right rhomboid muscle in his upper back.
Over 27 total starts and 172+1⁄3 IP, Scherzer concluded 2019 with an 11–7 record, 2.92 ERA, 144 hits allowed, 1.027 WHIP, and 243 strikeouts. He led all major league pitchers in strikeouts/walks ratio, at 7.364, and Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), at 2.45. He also led the NL in SO/9, at 12.7. He finished third in the league in strikeouts and fifth in adjusted ERA.
Scherzer started the NL Wild Card Game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched five innings and gave up home runs to Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames. The Nationals came back to defeat the Brewers, 4–3. The win allowed them to advance to the NLDS to face the Dodgers. Scherzer was the winning pitcher in Game 4 in a 6–1 outcome, and the Nationals won the series in five games.
After the NLDS, the Nationals advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to face the St. Louis Cardinals, where Scherzer received the starting assignment for Game 2. In Game 1, starter Aníbal Sánchez lost a bid for a no-hitter with two outs in the eighth. In Game 2, Scherzer took his own no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing a leadoff single to Paul Goldschmidt. The performances mirrored a feat Sánchez and Scherzer had achieved as teammates while playing in Detroit in Games 1 and 2 of the 2013 ALCS versus the Boston Red Sox. Both pitchers started their respective games with five hitless innings. No other pair of starting pitchers had ever taken no-hitters into the sixth inning against the same team in consecutive postseason games.
The Nationals advanced to the World Series to face the American League pennant-winning Houston Astros. This championship quest aligned Scherzer against old rotation mate Justin Verlander, that year's AL Cy Young winner. However the pair did not face each other directly in any starts. Scherzer started Game 1 in Houston, giving up two runs over five innings and earning the win. He was scheduled to start Game 5 at Nationals Park but was scratched due to severe neck spasms, for which he received a cortisone shot. Scherzer instead started the decisive Game 7 in Houston, again giving up two runs over five innings. He got a no-decision as the Nationals came back to win the game and the Series. It was the first championship in franchise history and first for Scherzer.
Another end-of-season recognition for Scherzer included selection to the first team of the inaugural All-MLB Team as one of five starting pitchers. He finished third to deGrom and Hyun-jin Ryu in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Scherzer posted a 5–4 record with a 3.74 ERA, his highest since 2011, and 92 strikeouts over 67+1⁄3 innings in 12 starts. His 1.38 WHIP was also the highest of his career.
During a May 2, 2021, contest versus the Marlins, Scherzer pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing one run–on a home run to Isan Díaz in the ninth inning–while striking out nine and allowing no bases on balls. On May 8, Scherzer faced the New York Yankees, striking out 14 over 7+1⁄3 innings, allowing two hits, one run and one walk. It was the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, making him just the fifth pitcher to reach the milestone, following Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martínez. The 14 strikeouts established a record by an opposing pitcher of the then-current iteration of Yankee Stadium, opened in 2009.
On September 16, after he had been traded, Scherzer was named by his former club as their nominee for the season's Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing character, community involvement, and philanthropy for his family's contributions to the Washington, DC, area.
