It’s not necessarily the loudest voice that commands the most attention. At times, it’s the one that speaks with experience and a passion for the game. And this spring, the Toronto Blue Jays’ clubhouse turned into a classic setting for deep pitching talks that went way beyond the standard mechanics. It went more into the relentless pursuit of improvement. Can you guess who the center of it all?

Three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion Max Scherzer. Even at 40, this ace is undoubtedly one of the toughest rivals in the game. Probably that’s why he cannot stop talking about pitching. And well, as it turns out, he has a fair number of audience, too. Especially his new rotation mates—Chris Bassitt (his Mets’ teammate in 2022), Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, and Bowden Francis cannot stop getting intrigued by his insights. All his “stuff… will translate to success” – that’s how Bassitt explains it.

When asked about all these locker-room conversations, the Blue Jays’ $15.5 million pitcher explained, “You’ve got to know who you’re talking to because not everyone’s going to grab onto every word you say.” Seemingly, he believes in “giving one little thing.” For him, perspective matters when talking about the execution of the pitches, the techniques to be process-driven, what the player is trying to do with the baseball, thoughts about different pitches, and so on.

But just when you think that Max Scherzer cannot dissect the game any better, another fastball drops.  “It’s great now, I’m sure guys are enjoying it now. But where the actual fun is where I’m critiquing myself,” shared Brown Eye. Because he understands that with the progression of the season, the risks surrounding the game will only get higher, causing the casual chats to only go deeper.

Evidently, Scherzer cannot stand the idea of not knowing what possible mistakes he made and how he can fix them. And this isn’t the first time. He has displayed a pattern of self-critique throughout his journey. Even in the 2019 World Series, Scherzer reflected on his struggles during the game and noted, “Not gonna lie, it was a grind.”

Interestingly, his teammates are all in, too. The clubhouse took the best advantage of spring training and delved into the unfiltered pitching discussions with a player who has been through it all.

While Bassit witnessed how Scherzer helped others on the Mets’ staff, he couldn’t hold back on proudly sharing this new phase with Mad Max as well. “The best way to explain it is he’s going to ask pretty simple questions, but you’ve got to have a good explanation as to why (you did something).”

According to Gausman, it’s pretty wild how Scherzer, even at 40, still pitches like a rookie with something to prove. An inspiration for the entire team, probably!

As it seems, Max Scherzer’s teammates cherish his guidance and the way he always dives into the finer details of pitching. Adding to that belief, Francis, who is among the young pitchers of the roster, summed it up perfectly: “I’ll throw some questions at him here and there just to see what he’s got on that topic. That’s one of the best parts with him.”  

And so, with all this hype going around the pitching discussions, the MLB community is surely looking forward to experiencing Toronto’s 2025 season. And for Scherzer? It’s where he finds the most fun.

Max Scherzer exits his Blue Jays debut against the Orioles

For a pitcher like Max Scherzer, who masters the strike zone, this was the last thing he saw coming. Amid his Toronto Blue Jays debut against the Baltimore Orioles, he had to make an early exit with what the team says is right-lat soreness. Could the timings BE any worse?

After 45 pitches in 3 innings, Scherzer had to be withdrawn from the mound. While his frustration was evident during his talks with the team’s pitching coach Pete Walker, he did manage to calmly strike out Gary Sánchez in the top of the 2nd. But the game went in favor of the Orioles as soon as he left.

Well, despite Scherzer’s fire, experience, and talent, his persistent thumb problem was a concern. And recently, when he was questioned about the same, he replied, “This region affects your whole arm, not just your form, but all the way to your triceps, into your shoulder, and into your lat, too.” And now it has turned into a harsh reality.

Even though Scherzer has battled injuries before, he has always come out stronger than before. But this time, it has emerged with new and serious concerns. Even during the spring training, that thumb issue was a real problem, but it held up pretty well during Scherzer’s very recent outing against the Minnesota Twins. He delivered four scoreless innings with four strikeouts. But ironically, now, it’s a thumbs-down for him to take the mound in the third game of this four-game series against an AL East rival.

In February, the Blue Jays signed Scherzer to a $15.5 million contract. Even during the previous season, injuries held him back, and so he was able to make just nine starts with the Texas Rangers, recording a 3.95 ERA. Scherzer admitted, “It’s a little thing that’s a big thing. I know I can still pitch at a very high level… But right now, it’s a thumb issue, and I’m going to be battling it until I’m fully built up.” 

With the built-up season pressure, the Blue Jays simply can’t afford to lose Scherzer. He was brought in as a key piece of their rotation, and right at his debut, the uncertainty about when he will be back puts Toronto in a challenging position.