A Breakdown of Max Scherzer’s Achievements, Contracts and Facts About His Wife & Eye

Quick Facts

Max Scherzer is one baseball player who boasts of a talent that only a few to have ever played the game can match. The power pitcher is renowned for his low three-quarter-arm delivery and ability to throw five different pitches: a four-seam fastball, a slider, a changeup, a cutter, and a curveball. This has helped him establish himself as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball ever since he made his debut in 2008.

Like many other athletes who perform at the highest level, Scherzer makes sure to leave nothing to luck and talent as he maintains a higher than normal level of intensity during games, and also goes through an extensive/unusual technique in preparation. This has earned him the nickname of “Mad Max” and has also helped him achieve numerous strikeout records, including being the fifth pitcher to throw more than one immaculate inning in his career as well as the sixth pitcher to record two no-hitters in the same season.

First Forays into Baseball

Max Scherzer may not quite be a baseball legend yet but no one would argue that he isn’t well on his way. His journey to greatness began as a young boy growing up in Chesterfield, Missouri. The St. Louis Cardinals boyhood fan played baseball as well as football and basketball while attending Parkway Central High School. It was noted that at this time Scherzer was very competitive and was able to use this to his advantage when coming up against people more talented than he was.

This trait impressed quite a few people around, notably the scouting director of the Cardinals who selected him in the 2003 MLB Draft. The young man, however, rejected the offer and instead chose to attend the University of Missouri in Columbia where he dropped all interests in other sports and focused solely on baseball.

Max Scherzer spent three successful years in Missouri, winning the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Award in 2005 before he was drafted into the MLB a year later by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 11th overall pick. As per normal routine, he spent some time in the minor league before making his major league debut two years later in April 2008.

Highlights and Achievements of Max Scherzer’s Career

Since making his MLB debut, Max Scherzer has played for three teams; the Arizona Diamondbacks (2008-2009), Detroit Tigers (2010-2014), and Washington Nationals (2015-present). The Missouri native has established himself as one of the best pitchers that the league has ever seen and has thus collected numerous accolades, including 3 CY Young Awards (for the best pitcher in the league) and 3 The Sporting News Starting Pitcher of the Year awards. He has further made 7 MLB All-Star appearances, featured in 1 All-MLB first team, led 4 times in Wins, and three times in NL strikeout.

Scherzer has also created several MLB and franchise records. This includes being the youngest ever pitcher to beat all 30 MLB teams, the pitcher with the most strikeouts in the 2010s (2.503), and the third fastest hurler to record 2,000 strikeouts. He is also the 5th MLB pitcher to achieve two immaculate innings and the 4th MLB pitcher with four consecutive seasons of 250 or more strikeouts.

Despite all the above, Max Scherzer’s greatest career achievement undoubtedly remains the 2019 World Series victory. The Washington Nationals had defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, the LA Dodgers, and the St Louis Cardinals in order to make it to the World Series. In a best of seven series, Scherzer and his teammates triumphed 4-3 against the Houston Astros and won the first title in franchise history. The victory was especially momentous for Scherzer as he had to play through a debilitating injury to guide his team to victory.

Facts About His Contracts and Earnings Over the Years

Max Scherzer has signed several lucrative contracts in the course of his career but the most notable remains his current deal with the Washington Nationals. In January 2015, the pitcher agreed to a seven-year deal worth $210 million with the Nationals – one of the largest deals in the history of the MLB.

Asides from its huge value, Scherzer’s contract is particularly unique in the sense that the contract is deferred. It means that instead of shelling out $30 million each year over the course of the next seven years (equalling $210 million), the Nationals would pay Scherzer $15 million for the next fourteen years. This situation is quite unique but definitely not novel. The MLB has witnessed several contract deferrals in the past, including that of Bobby Bonilla’s deal with the New York Mets, Manny Ramirez’s deal with the Boston Red Sox, and Bruce Sutter’s deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Why His Eyes are Distinctly Unique

Max Scherzer has not only distinguished himself with his breath-taking exploits but also with his physical characteristics. The MLB star has two differently-colored eyes with one brown and the other blue. This is due to a medical condition known as heterochromia iridium.

Scherzer manifested this condition at birth with his eyes initially blue and black. His parents consulted the doctors and they were informed that it would normalize. The black-colored eye eventually morphed into brown but the blue stayed put. Scherzer’s condition fetched him taunts while he was growing up. It has however been turned into a mark of honor ever since he joined the MLB. His team has sold special M&Ms colored blue and brown. They have also put up large billboards emphasizing the difference in Scherzer’s eye colors. The Pitcher himself is also proud of his distinctive eyes and has adopted two dogs who suffer from the same condition.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by (@emaysway) on Jul 26, 2019 at 7:04am PDT

Who is Max Scherzer’s Wife?

Max Scherzer is not just a winner on the field of play but also in his personal life. The baseballer is married to his college sweetheart, Erica Scherzer (nee May). Erica is a native of Colorado who studied at the University of Missouri as well as the University of Colorado. She holds a degree in history and has worked as a researcher. She now dedicates herself to several charitable causes including animal welfare/conservation, LGBTQ rights as well as combating human trafficking.

Scherzer and Erica first started dating while they were both students at the University of Missouri. They remained together for eight years before tying the knot in Arizona in November 2013. The couple has since built an enviable union. They have worked together on different social causes that are close to their hearts. Erica has also supported her husband through several challenges including injuries. The couple’s union is presently blessed with two lovely daughters; Brooklyn (b. November 2017) and Kacey (b. July 2019).

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.