Max Scherzer is keeping his next move under wraps until the 2026 season is over.
With the Toronto Blue Jays’ year sliding toward a disappointing finish, the veteran right-hander said he is not ready to tip his hand on whether he’ll keep pitching after his 19th MLB season. Hazel Mae of Sportsnet shared Scherzer’s comments on X, and the message was clear: he wants the focus to stay on the stretch run.
“I don’t know if I want to publicly say, yet. I’d rather keep the blinders up and address once the season’s over.. I’m not limping to the finish line, I’m accelerating through the finish line.. want to keep the focus on just getting to [the] finish line,” Scherzer said.
Toronto came into the 2026 season with huge expectations after reaching the World Series in 2025, but the reality has been far different. The reigning American League champions entered Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles at 77-80, sitting fourth in the AL East and four games behind the final Wild Card spot. At this point, their postseason hopes are basically gone.
Scherzer’s season has followed the same rough script. The 42-year-old has gone 3-8 with a 6.07 ERA and 1.362 WHIP in 72.2 innings over 16 starts.
Injuries have been part of the story, too. He has landed on the 15-day IL twice and also hit a setback during one of his rehab assignments in July.
Even with the numbers and the injuries, Scherzer’s résumé still stands among the best of this era. He’s an eight-time All-Star, a three-time Cy Young winner, and a two-time World Series champion, taking home titles with the Washington Nationals in 2019 and the Texas Rangers in 2023.
He has also climbed to ninth on the all-time strikeout list with 3,543 and counting.
If Scherzer returns in 2027, it would be his 20th MLB season. If he decides this is it, the game will be saying goodbye to one of the most dominant and relentless pitchers of the 21st century.
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