Max Scherzer fanned Kyle Schwarber to open the Toronto Blue Jays’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night to become the 11th pitcher in major league history to amass 3,500 strikeouts.
Scherzer, 41, threw a changeup on a 1-2 count that caught the Phillies’ leadoff man looking.
The right-hander, who made his debut in 2008 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is the only player with 3,500 strikeouts who has pitched fewer than 20 seasons.
He joins an elite club that boasts Nolan Ryan (5,714), Randy Johnson (4,875), Roger Clemens (4,672), Steve Carlton (4,136), Bert Blyleven (3,701), Tom Seaver (3,640), Don Sutton (3,574), Justin Verlander (3,554), Gaylord Petty (3,534) and Walter Johnson, who has 3,509 per baseballreference.com but 3,515 per Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of Major League Baseball. Detroit’s Verlander, 43, is the only active player ahead of Scherzer.
Scherzer was activated off the 15-day injured list before Wednesday’s game. He had not pitched since April 24 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, so he entered the matchup against the Phillies with a 1-3 record and a 9.64 ERA in five starts.
Scherzer entered Wednesday’s game with a 222-120 record and a 3.26 ERA over 488 appearances (479 starts) for the Diamondbacks (2008-09), Detroit Tigers (2010-14), Washington Nationals (2015-21), Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), New York Mets (2022-23), Texas Rangers (2023-24) and Blue Jays (2025-26).
He has won three Cy Young Awards across both leagues, earned eight All-Star Game nods and received Most Valuable Player votes in six seasons while collecting World Series rings with the Nationals in 2019 and the Rangers in 2023.
