Max Scherzer reached his 3,500th career strikeout on Wednesday night while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Philadelphia Phillies at Rogers Centre.
Scherzer struck out leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber with a changeup on the first pitch of the game to reach the milestone. He became the 11th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the feat. The right-hander had been stuck at 3,499 strikeouts for more than a month while recovering from forearm and ankle injuries. He fell short of the mark in his previous two starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians. Scherzer now ranks 11th on the all-time strikeout list with 3,503 according to Elias Sports Bureau. He is a two-time World Series champion with 182 career postseason strikeouts. The 40-year-old could climb higher if he remains in the Blue Jays rotation and stays healthy through the rest of the season.
