LOS ANGELES — Max Scherzer sat on his couch, patiently waiting for the results of a Cy Young vote that included him for the eighth time in his career. To his right, Scherzer not-so-subtly flexed his three Cy Young Awards. He paired them with the Commissioner’s Trophy from his 2019 championship with the Nationals.
It was a quick reminder from Scherzer of some of the things he has accomplished in his illustrious career. Scherzer, however, wants to continue adding to a legacy that will almost surely end with a call from the Hall of Fame.
But Scherzer will have to wait another year to add another award. The Dodgers right-hander finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting behind Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes, who won the award for the first time, and Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, who was a close second.
Scherzer appeared on all 30 ballots, receiving six first-place votes and five second-place votes. He finished with 113 points in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, 38 behind Burnes and 28 shy of Wheeler.
Scherzer posted a 15-4 record with a 2.46 ERA and 236 strikeouts this past season, splitting time between the Nationals and Dodgers. He joined Los Angeles in a blockbuster July 30 trade that sent top prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, among others, to Washington and also brought infielder Trea Turner to L.A.
Though Scherzer had success over the course of the season, his best stretch came as a Dodger. Right out of the gate, Scherzer delivered one of the best nine-start stretches in franchise history.
In those starts, Scherzer went 7-0 with a 0.78 ERA and struck out 79 over 58 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .150 batting average. The Dodgers won all nine of those games, and Scherzer joined the exclusive 3,000-strikeout club in the process. The right-hander entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and will surely be one of the most coveted arms on the market. The Dodgers are expected to be in the mix to re-sign the 37-year-old right-hander.
Scherzer, who earned the AL Cy Young in 2013 with the Tigers, was looking to become just the fifth pitcher in Major League history to win four or more Cy Young Awards, joining Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux.
While Scherzer was the Dodgers’ lone finalist for the award, Los Angeles was well represented on the ballot. Right-hander Walker Buehler finished fourth in the voting with 70 points on the strength of two first-place votes. Buehler made 33 starts this season, not missing a turn, and set a career high with 207 2/3 innings. He went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA.
Left-hander Julio Urías finished eighth, receiving three fifth-place votes. Urías was the only 20-game winner in the Majors this season and the first in the NL since Scherzer in 2016.
