even a pizza commercial<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cWe had some special moments together,\u201d Scherzer said of that relationship. \u201cThem being able to win the (Stanley) Cup and being right there and having them bring the Cup into our clubhouse, that\u2019s something you never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cSame thing with us. When we won (the World Series) trophy, we took it into their (dressing room) and celebrated with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Washington](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP18160731705970.jpg\")
Washington Capitals\u2019 Alex Ovechkin (right) shares a laugh with Washington Nationals\u2019 Max Scherzer after throwing out two ceremonial first pitches before a game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park, Saturday, June 9, 2018, in Washington. Alex Brandon\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n
The relationship went further than that. Ovechkin threw out the first pitch at a Nats game (not too well) with Scherzer catching. And the pitcher did a ceremonial face-off at a Caps game \u2014 with Ovechkin at centre \u2014 dropping a baseball instead of a puck.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of respect for what he\u2019s done in his career and the competitor he is and still obviously playing really good hockey at his age,\u201d Scherzer said. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to see him doing his thing, and that\u2019s why I\u2019d love to go see him play (in Toronto in early April).\u201d<\/p>\n
So what does this have to do with the now of Blue Jays camp and the ongoing renaissance of the right-handed starter?<\/p>\n
![\"Max](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP19292679134505.jpg\")
Scherzer, at the time a member of the Washington Nationals (left) meets with Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin after a ceremonial puck drop before an NHL game between the Capitals and the New York Rangers, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, in Washington. Nick Wass\/THE ASSOCIATED PRESSScherzer seems ageless<\/p>\n
Like Ovechkin when he\u2019s on, Scherzer seems ageless, as was evidenced in his latest spring training outing this weekend.<\/p>\n
In limiting the visiting Detroit Tigers to two hits over 4.2 shutout innings while striking out five on Saturday, Scherzer\u2019s pitch count jumped to 65, notable given that a year ago every time he hit 50, he\u2019d invariably run into a flaring of the thumb issues that thwarted so much of his first season in Toronto.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI thought I had done everything in the offseason to address it last year,\u201d Scherzer said. \u201cAnd unfortunately, it came back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve figured out how to manage it to where it\u2019s not an issue. So now I\u2019m in a normal ramp up, and now I\u2019m able to go out there and physically be who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Who he is, of course, is a future hall of famer who may just be the most season-ready Jays starter, remarkable given that he\u2019s been in camp for less than two weeks.<\/p>\n
The signature Scherzer intensity has been matched by an exuberance that is contagious among his teammates.<\/p>\n
\u2018Ball of tenacity\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just a ball of tenacity,\u201d Jays starter and 2025 rookie sensation, Trey Yesavage said. \u201cGrowing up, I\u2019d always see things about him on TV, but just seeing his persona and his presence on the mound and being a teammate is awesome. I get to see behind the scenes, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In that sense, Scherzer hasn\u2019t been shy to impart his baseball wisdom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve talked baseball, what\u2019s next,\u201d Yesavage said. \u201cLast year, going into the offseason, he talked about what could make me a great pitcher one day. Stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s the renowned work ethic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, he crushes cardio,\u201d Jays reliever Brendon Little said. \u201cHe\u2019s in the weight room all the time. I\u2019m sure he\u2019s been doing the same thing for like 16 years now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little offered a story that illustrate\u2019s the Mad Max side of Scherzer. At one point last season, Little approached him asking about a couple of pitches he was planning to add to his arsenal. Initially, Scherzer was lukewarm to the idea but that changed in a hurry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe literally did a deep dive on me with our player database,\u201d Little recalled. \u201cHe came back to me and said you need something (up in the zone). He talked about pitching to all four quadrants off the zone.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt wasn\u2019t off the cuff. Everything he does, it\u2019s not off the cuff. He cares about winning. He cares about making you better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scherzer is committed to making himself better, as well, which is why Saturday\u2019s game was so impressive. That he went head-to-head with young Tigers star Tarik Skubal made it an impressive show for the waning days of Grapefruit League play.<\/p>\n
Two more starts in Dunedin<\/p>\n
Scherzer said he will have two more starts here, which will have him ready to attack a 19th big-league season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just feel great,\u201d said Scherzer, who acknowledged he\u2019s hoping to see Ovie and the Caps face the Maple Leafs in Toronto on April 8 as he mentioned to Jay Rosehill and Nick Alberga on a recent edition of the Leafs Morning Take podcast. \u201cI\u2019m out there able to execute every pitch, just getting back in the flow of things.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess I would say I\u2019ve felt (younger than his age) for quite a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The youthful energy Scherzer brings is also easy for his teammates to feed off. The birth certificate may say 41, but there\u2019s still a fountain of youth feeding his veins.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has a personality like I think we all do in baseball and that\u2019s trying to stay as young as we can for as long as we can,\u201d new Jays starter Cody Ponce said. \u201cAnd he definitely enjoys the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CP175221267.jpg\")
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer walks to the dugout during the first inning in Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. Photo by Ashley Landis \/THE ASSOCIATED PRESSArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.7.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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