Nationals: 3 Takeaways From 8-2 Win Over Marlins
By Matt Weyrich
Max Scherzer is Still Giving Up Home Runs
Max Scherzer may have struggled out of the gate to start the season, but he seemed to have everything working for him Sunday afternoon. Mad Max struck out eight Marlins hitters, walked none and only gave up six hits across eight innings of work. The only problem was, one of those hits ended up in the second deck above right field.
Scherzer’s struggles with the long ball are well-documented, as his 40 home runs allowed over the past two seasons are tied with James Shields for the most in baseball over that span. While he may be the only pitcher that has given up more than 28 homers in the last two years to do so with an ERA under 3.40, his tendency to give up the home run is still concern.
The Nats’ ace is going to rack up the strikeouts. He doesn’t let many baserunners come around to score, limits the free passes, and above all else, wins baseball games. Only six pitchers in the NL have compiled more wins since Scherzer signed with the Nationals, and half of them have won a Cy Young.
Since the end of the 2013 season, opponents’ slugging percentage on Max Scherzer fastballs has risen every single year. In 2016, the figure sits at an alarming .513 (Brooks Baseball). Eight of the fourteen home runs Scherzer has allowed this season have come in two-strike counts. What’s Max’s go-to pitch with two strikes? 43 percent of the time, it’s his four-seamer.
Whether he lacks overall fastball command or has simply become predictable is still up for debate. However, the evidence suggests that at least one of these is a factor. Hopefully, with Mike Maddux leading the way, correcting these issues is only a matter of time.
Next: Ramos is Finally Coming Around