Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are about to put one more chapter on a rivalry that has lingered for years, even as both pitchers move toward Hall of Fame status.
Verlander is set for the final start of his career on Saturday against the Pirates. Scherzer, meanwhile, is hoping to start the Blue Jays’ final game of the season on Sunday. Verlander is retiring, and Scherzer has hinted he may not be far behind.
The numbers only sharpen the moment. Verlander leads all active pitchers with 3,554 strikeouts, while Scherzer is just four behind him after trimming the gap by seven in his last outing against the Orioles. Scherzer allowed four runs in five innings that day, but he still missed enough bats to keep the chase alive.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider didn’t offer much when asked whether Scherzer might tune in for Verlander’s last start at Comerica.
It's still possible Max Scherzer comes back on short rest to pitch the final day of the #BlueJays season.
I asked John Schneider if they'd be watching Justin Verlander's strikeout total this weekend (he's 11 up on Scherzer and pitching Saturday). He laughed and said: "Maybe"
- Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 23, 2026
For all the respect the two have shown each other over the years, there has also been a persistent sense that their relationship carried a little frost. That feeling never really disappeared, even when their paths crossed again with the Mets. The public tone stayed professional, but there was always a hint of distance.
Whether there was ever any true personal tension is hard to know. What is obvious is that two pitchers who stayed near the top of the sport for so long were bound to be measured against each other, and that kind of comparison tends to create its own rivalry.
Scherzer may have the edge entering the weekend. He has dealt with injury issues this season, and he’d be working on less rest than usual, but he struck out 10 as recently as Aug. 30 against the Mariners, when he went seven innings and allowed just one hit and one walk. Even at 41, he still has swing-and-miss stuff.
Verlander, by contrast, has plenty to knock off after not pitching since March 30 against the Diamondbacks. In that outing, he gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings and added only one strikeout to his career total.
Still, this is Must-See JV back at Comerica Park, and he said this week on an episode of Foul Territory with AJ Pierzysnki that he plans to keep going “until my arm falls off.” He added, "If I can make it to one hundred pitches, I'm going to do it," he said.
No matter how it ends, this one feels like an appointment watch.
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