Max Scherzer may have already worked his last inning in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform, but the door isn’t fully closed on what comes next.
The 42-year-old right-hander was recently asked by MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post about the possibility of coming back for a 20th major league season, and Scherzer didn’t sound like a man ready to call it quits just yet. He told Heyman that he plans to pitch in what he referred to as "lockout games" near his Florida home this offseason, a move that should help him figure out whether another year is in the cards.
If he does return, there’s still plenty left for him to chase.
Scherzer is only three strikeouts behind Justin Verlander for eighth on MLB’s all-time strikeout list, with 3,557 compared to Verlander’s 3,560. Verlander, 43, has already said he’s done after this year and won’t pitch in 2027, which could give Scherzer the chance to pass his longtime friend - and rival - on the list.
One more season would also put Don Sutton within reach. The Dodgers great is just 17 strikeouts ahead of Scherzer for seventh all-time.
Scherzer’s time in Toronto came with plenty of steady production. Over two seasons with the Blue Jays, he made 35 starts, struck out 150 batters and logged 169.2 innings.
He also brought more than just innings to the clubhouse. Scherzer took on a mentor’s role and became a respected voice inside the Blue Jays’ room.
Still, the moments that tend to stick with Blue Jays fans are the ones where his intensity spilled over on the mound. Game 4 of the 2025 ALCS delivered one of the sharpest examples, when manager John Schneider came out to visit and Scherzer made it clear he wanted to stay in the game.
"It was awesome," Schneider said about the interaction. "I thought he was going to kill me. It was great."
That exchange became one of the defining snapshots of Toronto’s 2025 postseason run, and it’s a scene that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
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Max Scherzer Just Opened The Door To One More Season
Max Scherzers first season in Toronto ended with a reminder of why the Blue Jays were willing to bet on him in the first place. After a year interrupted by multiple injuries and uneven results, the veteran right-hander finished his final start with seven innings and seven strikeouts, a sharp late-season outing that hinted he still has plenty left in the tank even after a 5.74 ERA across 18 starts.
Now comes the part that matters for both Scherzer and the Blue Jays: he plans to use offseason lockout games as a way to judge whether another year is in play. For a pitcher who has built his career on relentless competitiveness and a refusal to go quietly, the decision is no longer just about what he did this season, but whether his body and arm will tell him there is one more run left in 2027. [Read more 🡒]