Max Scherzer to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch for Blue Jays
Max Scherzer, a future Hall of Famer, will kick off the most significant game in Toronto Blue Jays history by throwing the ceremonial first pitch, and it will be aired live.
The 41-year-old pitcher made a one-year deal with the Jays at the start of the season, initially appearing to be a farewell tour. But now, it’s evolved into something entirely more pivotal.
What began as a chance to soak in his last season has somehow morphed into the most crucial start of Scherzer’s career.
Honestly, it’s hard to believe that at 8:08 p.m. ET, both Scherzer and the Blue Jays’ fans will find themselves in such a moment.
This marks Scherzer’s 28th postseason start and his sixth time in a winner-takes-all scenario. It’s the sixth time he’s emerged in the Fall Classic and the second time he finds himself in a Game 7, following the Washington Nationals’ win in 2019.
He’ll be joining the ranks of only three MLB pitchers—Bob Gibson, Lou Burdette, and Don Larsen—who have started in multiple winner-take-all Fall Classic Game 7s.
With a track record as a three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, Scherzer has accomplished quite a lot. His career stats include a 3.22 ERA and over 3,489 strikeouts. His induction into Cooperstown in his first year on the ballot seems inevitable.
This Saturday’s game could truly match his earlier performance against the Houston Astros six years ago, where he leaned on key home runs to clinch victory in a tense atmosphere.
This time, however, he’ll be pitching in front of a home crowd eager for the Blue Jays’ first title since 1993. The energy promised to be electric.
Scherzer hasn’t laid out his future plans yet. But if the game unfolds like a classic Hollywood scene, playing against his former team could mean he rides off triumphantly into the sunset.
Perhaps his Hall of Fame plaque will show him in a Nationals cap, which seems likely given that he spent most of his career there. Yet, if all aligns in his favor, he might just become a Toronto legend—regardless of how brief his time there may be.
