Max Scherzer Just Passed a Strikeout Record That Stood for 100 Years

Max Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning Saturday to move into 10th place on baseball's all-time strikeout list, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson's mark of 3,515, which had stood for over a century. The Toronto Blue Jays went on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 in 11 innings on Nathan Lukes' go-ahead two-run homer.

Why You Should Care

Records that survive a hundred years of baseball — through equipment changes, rule changes, entirely different eras of how the game is played — don't fall often, and when they do, it's worth pausing on. Scherzer is now second among active pitchers, trailing only Justin Verlander, which means fans are watching two future Hall of Famers still adding to milestone lists most people assumed were permanently frozen in the record books.

Complex to Simple

A career strikeout total is a lot like compound interest — small, unremarkable deposits made consistently over two decades that eventually add up to something historic. Scherzer didn't strike out 3,516 batters in one dominant season; he did it start after start, year after year, long enough to outlast a record set by a pitcher who retired back in 1927.

What's Next

Watch how close Scherzer can get to Verlander's active-pitcher lead before either of them calls it a career — and keep an eye on the Blue Jays, who took the series from Philadelphia and will look to complete a sweep Sunday.