Maxwell M. Scherzer (born July 27, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed “Mad Max”, he made his MLB debut as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, and later played for the Detroit Tigers. He has been an important figure in the both the Tigers\' and Nationals\' playoff presence, including Detroit\'s four consecutive American League Central titles from 2011−2014 and two of Washington\'s National League East titles. A power pitcher with a low three-quarter-arm delivery, Scherzer has achieved numerous strikeout records and distinctions. He is the tenth pitcher in history to garner at least three Cy Young Awards, the sixth to record two no-hitters in one season, the fifth to produce more than one immaculate inning, and the fourth to strike out at least 200 batters in a season seven years in a row.\n', '

The Diamondbacks selected Scherzer, a native of Greater St. Louis, in the first round and 11th overall of the 2006 amateur draft from the University of Missouri. A seven-time MLB All-Star, he is the fifth pitcher to start an All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues. He is a winner of three strikeout titles, a four-time wins leader, and a four-time walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) leader. In addition to three Cy Young Awards, he also finished second in its voting in 2018 and fifth in 2014 and 2015. One the most consistent hurlers of his era, he has made at least 30 starts each season from 2009–2018, and struck out at least 230 batters in each season from 2012–2018. In 2018, he reached 300 strikeouts for the first time. Prior to the 2015 season, Scherzer agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals, one of the largest in baseball history.\n', '

During his major league debut, Scherzer established the record for most consecutive hitters retired in a relief appearance as a major league debut with 13. He became the third pitcher to start a season with a 19–1 win–loss record, on the way to winning his first Cy Young Award in 2013. In 2015, Scherzer became the sixth pitcher in Major League history to record multiple no-hitters in a single season, including the first with at least 17 strikeouts and no bases on balls, and the first to accrue a game score of 100 or more twice in one season. On May 11, 2016, he tied the major league nine-inning strikeout record with 20, making him the second player to achieve both a no-hitter and 20 strikeouts over nine-innings. In 2017, he became the third-fastest hurler to record 2,000 strikeouts, and the fourth to strike out 250 or more in four consecutive seasons. Scherzer has more strikeouts (2,503) than any pitcher in the 2010s. He recorded one immaculate inning each in 2017 and 2018.\n', '

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