Max Scherzer reinvents himself as pianist, extends career

Reaching 3,000 strikeouts in Major League Baseball is widely seen as enough to secure a place in the Hall of Fame. Few pitchers reach the milestone without pushing their careers to the limit. The most recent to do so was Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who reached the mark in July last year before announcing his retirement about two months later. Even for legends, it is a benchmark that often comes at the end.

Max Scherzer reached the milestone four years earlier and is still going at age 42. Now an important part of Toronto’s starting rotation, he is once again chasing a World Series title.

With his explosive delivery, relentless intensity and striking heterochromia, Scherzer earned the nickname “Mad Max” during his college years at the University of Missouri, a nod to the film of the same name. Arizona selected him 11th overall in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft, but he was not widely expected to last long as a starter. Scouts questioned whether his high-effort pitching style could endure, and Arizona initially viewed him as a reliever better suited for short outings.

Scherzer quickly upended those expectations. On April 30 of his rookie season, he came out of the bullpen against Houston and retired 13 consecutive batters over 4 1/3 innings, setting a major league record at the time. Former Arizona pitching coach Bryan Price later said it was not just Scherzer’s arsenal that stood out, but the confidence he projected. Scherzer went on to win three Cy Young Awards, cementing his status as one of the game’s premier pitchers.

Even Scherzer went through a stretch when that confidence wavered. Late in the 2023 season, he began dealing with persistent thumb pain. He tried several treatments, including steroid injections and dry needling, but found little relief. Last season, he made only one start before going on the injured list. Although he returned in June, the discomfort persisted and often flared up whenever he took the mound.

An unexpected remedy came from an unlikely place: the piano. A father of four, Scherzer began teaching his children to play before the All-Star break and soon noticed that his thumb pain eased after practicing. From then on, he played constantly. On road trips, he sought out any available piano, even in hotel lobbies. He later recalled that hotel staff would look at him as if surprised to see someone playing at 10:30 at night, but he had little choice.

He eventually began traveling with a portable keyboard designed to mimic the feel of piano keys, allowing him to keep practicing in his hotel room. He said he found it deeply rewarding to learn something entirely new at 41, even taking song requests from teammates.

Something of a pianist now, Scherzer became the oldest pitcher to start Game 7 of the World Series last year. For a player who had already accomplished nearly everything, it was a testament to his drive to create one more defining moment.

U.S. psychologist Angela Duckworth has defined “grit” as the combination of sustained passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals. Scherzer is a vivid example of that idea in action.