Since being acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for prospect Luisangel Acuna, Texas Rangers ace Max Scherzer has been masterful.
He has been the ace the Rangers thought they were acquiring and has a 1.80 ERA in three starts with his new team.
All three have been quality starts.
The most recent outing, an absolute domination of the Los Angeles Angels in which he allowed just a hit and a walk in seven strong frames (11 strikeouts, too), helped him join some nice company.
“Max Scherzer tonight recorded his 6th career game with 10+ strikeouts and 1 or 0 hits allowed. That’s tied for the 4th-most by any pitcher since the mound was set at its current distance in 1893. Only Nolan Ryan (19), Randy Johnson (10), and Justin Verlander (8) have more,” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Max Scherzer tonight recorded his 6th career game with 10+ strikeouts and 1 or 0 hits allowed.
That's tied for the 4th-most by any pitcher since the mound was set at its current distance in 1893.
Only Nolan Ryan (19), Randy Johnson (10), and Justin Verlander (8) have more. pic.twitter.com/QnxG02Q3h4
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 15, 2023
That’s some really nice company there.
People may not understand how hard it is to log 10+ strikeouts or more in a single game while also conceding just one or zero hits.
These are all professional, qualified hitters, and Scherzer made them all look silly on Monday.
After a first half filled with injuries and controversies that combined to yield a 4.01 ERA during his time with the Mets this year, a 100 percent healthy Scherzer has really turned things around and is back to looking like one of the very best hurlers in the league.
If he stays healthy for the remainder of the season, Scherzer and the Rangers might be in for a really fun postseason adventure.
He is looking for his second World Series ring after the one he got with the Washington Nationals in 2019.
NEXT: The Rangers Are Taking A Chance On Former All-Star