LA mastery makes Scherzer a Cy finalist
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LOS ANGELES -- For the fifth time in the past six seasons, right-hander Max Scherzer is a finalist for a Cy Young Award.
By being named a finalist on Monday, Scherzer secured a top-three finish in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting for the sixth time in his illustrious career. Scherzer finished third in the voting in 2019, second in 2018 and won back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in ‘16 and ‘17 with the Nationals.
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Scherzer, who earned the AL honor in 2013 with the Tigers, has an opportunity to win a fourth Cy Young Award. If he accomplishes the feat, he will join Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux as the only pitchers in Major League history to win four or more.
The right-hander certainly has a strong case in ‘21, though he will face some tough competition. Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes and Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler are the other two finalists. The winner will be announced Nov. 17.
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Scherzer posted a 15-4 record with a 2.46 ERA and 236 strikeouts this season, splitting time between the Nationals and Dodgers. He came to the Dodgers in a July 30 trade that sent top prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz to Washington and also brought infielder Trea Turner to L.A.
Scherzer’s impact on an injury-riddled Los Angeles staff was felt instantly. He began his Dodgers career with one of the best nine-start stretches in franchise history.
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In those starts, Scherzer went 7-0 with a 0.78 ERA and struck out 79 over 58 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .150 average. The Dodgers won all nine of those games, and Scherzer joined the exclusive 3,000 career strikeouts club.
Scherzer’s season didn’t end quite like anyone expected. He allowed 11 runs combined (10 earned) across his last two regular-season starts. Then in the postseason, Scherzer was never able to find his dominant form. His season ultimately ended by being scratched for his Game 6 start against the Braves in the NL Championship Series because of an “overcooked” arm after he pitched in relief to secure his first save in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Giants.
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While it didn’t end the way the Dodgers and Scherzer would’ve hoped, the veteran’s overall impact was felt on the field and inside the clubhouse. Scherzer, an unrestricted free agent, is expected to have a crowded market. The Dodgers are interested in bringing him back.
Scherzer was the only Dodger to be named a finalist for any of the end-of-season awards. Walker Buehler and Julio Urías each made a case to be a finalist for Cy Young, but neither made the cut. Urías was the only 20-game winner in the Majors. Manager Dave Roberts also could’ve been considered for an award after leading a 106-win season. Max Muncy is expected to receive top-10 NL MVP votes, but wasn’t in serious consideration to be a finalist.