Select Career Era
Performance by Era
Season-by-Season Breakdown
| Year | Team | Age | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | Park Adj. | Def. DRS |
|---|
Park Factors & Defense Quality
Most Friendly Parks
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How to Use This Comparison
Choose an era from the dropdown menu to see how Max Scherzer performed during different phases of his career. The Nationals era (2012-2019) includes his peak years with Washington. The Toronto stint (2020-2021) covers his Cy Young winning seasons with the Blue Jays. Detroit (2022-2023) shows his return as a veteran mentor.
The park adjustment toggle applies league-average park factors to normalize statistics. A ground ball park like Toronto's Rogers Centre reduces home runs but can increase doubles. This helps compare performance across different environments fairly.
Postseason numbers are separate because sample sizes are small. Scherzer's 2020 postseason was historic with a 0.94 ERA over 19.1 innings. Use the postseason-only view to see October performance.
Key insight: Scherzer's age-36 season (2021) showed his ERA actually improved to 2.27. This counters the narrative that elite pitchers decline sharply after age 33.
Common mistake: Don't compare raw ERA across ballparks. Seattle's SafeCoast suppresses home runs but can boost ERA. Park-adjusted numbers give a fairer picture.
Pro tip: Click Download CSV to get season-by-season data for fantasy analysis or personal tracking.
Last updated: March 2024. Park factors sourced from Fangraphs 2012-2023 averages. Defense metrics from Baseball-Reference DRS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Toronto show higher ERA than Washington?
The AL East is one of the strongest divisions. Scherzer faced the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox daily. His ERA jumped from 2.07 in Washington to 3.47 in Toronto, but his K/9 stayed above 12. This reflects tougher competition, not worse pitching.
Is Scherzer still effective at age 37?
His 2023 season with Detroit showed a 3.67 ERA and 10.7 K/9. While not his 2019 peak (1.96 ERA), this is still excellent for any pitcher. His age-related decline is slower than typical for starters.
What about the 2020 pandemic-shortened season?
60 games isn't enough for a full sample. Scherzer went 9-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 14.6 K/9. The numbers are elite but small. The 2021 season (with a full schedule) shows his true form returning.
Can I use this for other pitchers?
This tool is built specifically for Max Scherzer's career data. For other pitchers, use the methodology here as a template when analyzing Baseball-Reference or Fangraphs season splits.