5 moments that tell the story of Max Scherzer’s time with the Blue Jays

If Max Scherzer does take the mound Sunday (Sept. 27) at Rogers Centre, it could be his final start in a Toronto Blue Jays' uniform. It could also, possibly, be the final start of one of the greatest pitching careers in this era of baseball.

The idea of retiring has hovered over Scherzer in the final week of the 2026 season for the Blue Jays. After Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Orioles, in which the Blue Jays were officially eliminated from playoff contention, the 42-year-old right-hander said he would like to pitch again in the Blue Jays’ season finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Scherzer had allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks over five innings in Baltimore, striking out seven on 93 pitches. But he said he still wants the ball one more time.

Scherzer also told reporters that he would make a decision about his future beyond 2026 soon. He said, “Probably say something here in the next couple of days.”

If it is the end of his Blue Jays tenure it will tie a bow on a part of his career that was filled with moments that reminded everyone why “Mad Max” became such a defining figure of this generation.

The full Mad Max experience in the ALCS

One of his most memorable Blue Jays moments came during the 2025 ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. Manager John Schneider came to the mound in the fifth inning with Scherzer trying to navigate a critical inning. Scherzer made it very clear he was not interested in coming out of the game.

The exchange instantly became one of those playoff clips that will live forever in Blue Jays' history. Scherzer barked at Schneider and Schneider retreated. The veteran right-hander struck out Randy Arozarena to end the inning and the threat.

It was the kind of moment the players seemed to rally around as they won Game Four to even up the series.

Passing Gaylord Perry in vintage fashion

Scherzer’s best regular-season start as a Blue Jay came with a history making moment. On Aug. 30, 2026, he carved through the Mariners at Rogers Centre, striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a 7-0 Toronto win. His 10th strikeout of the afternoon pushed him past Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry and into ninth place on MLB’s all-time strikeout list.

After a season interrupted by injuries and inconsistency, he looked like his old self for one afternoon. He allowed only a walk and a Cal Raleigh double, and retired the final 10 batters he faced. By ever metric available it was one of the best games Scherzer pitched in his career.

Scherzer suits up for the Blue Jays for the first time

Scherzer’s Blue Jays debut was memorable before he even threw a pitch. There was still something surreal about seeing one of the defining pitchers of the 2010s and 2020s wearing Toronto colours. It carried a throwback feeling to the World Series years, when the Blue Jays were able to bring future Hall of Famers such as Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor to Toronto.

The actual outing, though, became an early warning sign of what was to come. Scherzer lasted only three innings against the Orioles before exiting with right lat soreness, an issue he later connected to the thumb problem that would become problematic for much of the year.

Getting the ball in Game 7 of the World Series

No moment said more about the Blue Jays’ trust in Scherzer than the decision to give him the ball for Game 7 of the World Series. Toronto had other options. Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt and Trey Yesavage all pitched later in the game. But with the season and a championship on the line, the Blue Jays still turned to Scherzer.

He rewarded that faith with a successful 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three. He left in the fifth inning to a standing ovation with the Blue Jays leading 3-1, giving Toronto a real chance to close out the series even though the Dodgers eventually rallied to win the game and the championship.

It also put Scherzer in rare historical company. By starting that game, he became the only living pitcher to start two winner-take-all World Series Game 7s, having previously done it with the Washington Nationals in 2019.

Six steady innings against Kansas City

Scherzer's biggest value to the Blue Jays came in the moments when he simply went out and did his job. That was the case on Aug. 2, 2025, when Scherzer worked six innings of one-run ball in a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Scherzer allowed five hits, walked none and struck out five, giving Toronto a much-needed stopper performance at a time when the rotation had been knocked around. It was not necessarily the most memorable version of Mad Max, but it was one of his best starts during the regular season that year.

One final start would bring the Blue Jays chapter full circle for Max Scherzer

If Sunday does become Scherzer’s final start with the Blue Jays, it will come at the end of a tenure that is somewhat difficult to summarize. The results were not always there. Injuries got in the way. There were starts when he looked every bit like a pitcher closer to the end than his peak years. But there were also enough reminders of who he has been to make his Blue Jays chapter worth revisiting.

That is why a possible finale at Rogers Centre would be must watch tv. Scherzer gave the Blue Jays a handful of moments that felt like they added to his legacy and completely solidified that he is bound for Cooperstown

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