Max Scherzer has 3,535 MLB strikeouts, plus some fun Canadian facts

August 31, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Toronto Blue Jays fans witnessed a vintage performance from Max Scherzer on Sunday.

The 42-year-old right-hander and three-time Cy Young Award winner started for the Blue Jays and allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings, while striking out 10 batters, to lead his club to a 7-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre.

His 10 strikeouts gave him 3,535 for his MLB career and moved him past Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry into ninth place on the all-time strikeouts list.

Here are a few fun facts about Scherzer’s performance on Sunday, as well as some Canadian ties to his impressive strikeout haul:

-Sarah Langs, of MLB.com, shared the following on social media:

-Scherzer earned his 223rd MLB win on Sunday. That ties him with Roger Clemens for the second-most MLB wins any pitcher has had while toeing the rubber for the Blue Jays (I’m talking cumulative wins in their MLB career, not just with the Blue Jays). Phil Niekro had 318 MLB wins when he started three games for the Blue Jays in August 1987.

-Speaking of Clemens, he had 4,672 MLB strikeouts, good for third on the all-time list. He is the only ex-Jay above Scherzer on the list.

-Eighty-three of Scherzer’s MLB strikeouts have come when he was facing the Blue Jays. In total in 12 starts against the Blue Jays, he is 5-3 with a 2.31 ERA in 78 innings.

-With his 10-K performance on Sunday, Scherzer has 120 strikeouts at Rogers Centre – either pitching for or against the Blue Jays.

-Scherzer has struck out both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (once) and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (twice).

-Canadian-born players have fanned 23 times against Scherzer. Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) leads the way with seven strikeouts, while Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) have struck out five times each against the future Hall of Famer. Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) has fanned three times against Scherzer, while Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) has struck out twice.

-The most successful Canadian against Scherzer? That would be Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), who went 5-for-15 (.333 batting average) with three home runs against the longtime ace.

-The only Canadian to catch Scherzer has been Luke Carlin (Hull, Que.) with the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 3, 2009. Scherzer allowed three earned runs and struck out five batters in six innings throwing to Carlin in a D-Backs’ 5-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.