Max Scherzer
- Free agent est. 1 yr × $2.3M ($1M–$5M)
- Injured list 2026: Back spasms (Jun 17–Jul 27)
Pitching · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB pitchers with 500+ pitches · 1,461 pitches
Arsenal & Pitch Lab
Movement normalized to arm side · Keystone Stuff by pitch
| Pitch | Use | Velo | IVB | HB | Stuff | Loc | Whiff | xRV/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam47% use | 47% | 92.9 | 16.4 | +8.9 | 100 | 107 | 19% | +0.59 |
| Slider17% use | 17% | 85.3 | 3.2 | −3.6 | 98 | 104 | 29% | −0.98 |
| Changeup16% use | 16% | 83.9 | 4.0 | +14.3 | 90 | 101 | 18% | +0.18 |
| Curveball15% use | 15% | 74.5 | −7.4 | −13.2 | 96 | 101 | 26% | −0.10 |
| Cutter6% use | 6% | 87.7 | 7.7 | −3.3 | 103 | 96 | 17% | −0.70 |
Built from his own fastball (92.9 mph) plus the typical shape 16 pitchers with his slot (31°) throw: a sweeper around 82.3 mph, 5.3″ rise, −13.4″ arm-side. On the same model it grades +12 against his curveball, the pitch with the same job (−5 to +17 across the production and three cross-fit models), about 108 on his curveball’s scale; the comps’ own sweepers grade 106 at the median, so that sits above 88% of them. The fits disagree, so it isn’t queued.
Most similar pitchers
Pitches like Scherzer: same hand, shape, slot and mix
| Similarity | Player | Stuff | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Zebby Matthews MIN · ’00 | 92 | 0.7 | 1.1 | — |
| 63 | Stephen Kolek KC · ’97 | 90 | 0.5 | 1.0 | Pre-arb |
| 62 | Keider Montero DET · ’00 | 92 | 2.5 | 1.7 | Pre-arb |
| 61 | Mike Burrows HOU · ’99 | 90 | −0.4 | 0.5 | Pre-arb |
| 60 | Colin Rea CHC · ’90 | 96 | 0.4 | 0.4 | Free agent |
Same-handed pitchers nearest on fastball velocity and shape, arm angle, extension, pitch mix, secondary shapes, Stuff, whiff rate and workload. 2026 regulars only.
Pitch locations · 2026
Where each pitch finishes, by batter side
Where each pitch finishes, catcher’s view. The bar marks the batter’s side; the box is an average strike zone. Pitches with 40+ thrown to this side.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
A pending free agent: no club controls his 2027. Contract Studio →
Minor leagues
MLB Stats API · public box-score data
| SeasonLevel | Level | Team | Age | G | PA / IP | PA / IP ·Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026A+ | A+ | Vancouver Canadians | 41 | 1 | 3 IP | 3 IP · 6.00 ERA · 21.4% K · 14.3% BB |
| 2026AAA | AAA | Buffalo Bisons | 41 | 4 | 15.2 IP | 15.2 IP · 4.02 ERA · 35.0% K · 5.0% BB |
| 2025AAA | AAA | Buffalo Bisons | 40 | 2 | 8.2 IP | 8.2 IP · 2.08 ERA · 35.3% K · 5.9% BB |