The New York Mets and their fans are thrilled about the possibility of enjoying two future Hall of Famers at the top of their rotation.
Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer have the potential to vie for the NL Cy Young award in 2022 if they are healthy this year.
Scherzer, clearly, did his job and stayed ready during the lockout.
He must have followed his usual routine and started stretching, running, and throwing around the same date he usually does, because it’s not a coincidence he is looking game-ready at the moment.
He took the ball to start the Mets’ Monday spring training game, and had wonderful results.
“Max Scherzer’s final line against the Marlins, his Mets spring training debut: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. Of the three hits, one was a bunt and one was a bloop. He threw 72 pitches,” Newsday’s Tim Healey reported today via Twitter.
Max Scherzer's final line against the Marlins, his Mets spring training debut: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.
Of the three hits, one was a bunt and one was a bloop.
He threw 72 pitches (55 pitches).
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) March 21, 2022
He Is Almost Ready For A Full Workload
The most notable takeaways of his outing are the fact he didn’t walk anybody and struck out five, and the fact he could complete five frames and 72 pitches.
His next outing should be around 85-90 pitches if we follow usual progressions, and he could be ready to throw around six innings or 95 pitches when the season starts.
He looks in midseason form, too, and his pitches seem to be working to perfection.
Of course, it’s not a good idea to judge a pitcher for his spring training stats, but Scherzer, even at 37, is not showing signs of slowing down.
He had a 2.46 ERA in 179.1 innings last year between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and looks poised to lead the Mets to the postseason and, why not, the World Series.
NEXT: Mets Have A Team Legend At Camp On Monday
