Rick Osentoski- USA TODAY Sports
If Charlie Sheen had a favorite pitcher it would be Max Scherzer. Scherzer became the first pitcher since Roger Clemens in 2001 to have a record of 16-1 and he only seems to be getting more dominant each time he takes the mound after completely stumping the Chicago White Sox yet again on Saturday night in eight shutout innings. To say Max Scherzer has been the best pitcher in the big leagues this season would be an understatement, the gap he has placed between himself and the rest of the league has continued to expand with each dominating start.
The more important part of what Scherzer has done recently is he is starting to pitch to contact more and going deep into games. It used to be a dominant Scherzer start would mean 14 strikeouts in six innings of work but Max has traded some strikeouts for going deeper in games helping rest the bullpen and ensure himself more stable chances at wins. Scherzer doesn’t need the bullpen to work three innings anymore, he goes out and just gets it done himself. It’s a move that is eerily similar to what Justin Verlander did when he took himself to a whole new level two seasons ago.
The transformation and fusing of power and strategic pitching is a deadly combination. With this new fusion being blended in Scherzer’s starts there is no reason to think this domination is going to change anytime soon. It’s an exciting time for the Detroit Tigers and there may just be a new ace in town to lead this team the way Verlander has done the past two seasons. If Verlander could get going, well, good luck to the rest of baseball.
