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Max Scherzer 2022 Player Outlook: New Team, Same High Expectations
New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer continued to be one of baseball's best pitchers in 2021. The 37-year-old went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 34.1% strikeout rate over 179 ⅓ innings pitched between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. Age certainly did not seem to impact Scherzer's performance; his fastball averaged 94.3 MPH, his fastball and curveball spin rates were in the top 10 and 23 percent of baseball, respectively, and his strikeout rate was in the top four percent of baseball. His overall Statcast profile was stellar, and it was encouraging to see him log so many strong innings given his age and the fact that 2020 was a shortened season. He will be leaving a loaded Dodgers lineup and pitcher-friendly home park, but the Mets have made plenty of moves to bolster their lineup this offseason and actually had a better pitcher park factor in 2021 (per ESPN's park factors). Scherzer is currently being drafted at about pick 17 overall and the fifth starting pitcher after Shohei Ohtani, Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burnes, and Walker Buehler. While he is getting older, Scherzer has been one of fantasy's elite starting options for almost a decade. As such, it would not be unreasonable to draft him slightly higher than his current ADP.
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