Max Scherzer led all National League pitchers in strikeouts (300), K/9 (12.24), hits allowed per nine innings pitched (6.12), WHIP (0.91), SO/BB (5.88), opponents’ AVG (.188), and wins (tied, 18) in 2018. He also finished ranked second in opponents’ OBP (.247), ranked third in ERA (2.53) and opponents’ OPS (.580), and fifth in opponents’ SLG (.332). Not. Bad. Max.
Scherzer is the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day starter for the fourth time in his five seasons in D.C., with the one exception since he signed a 6-year/$210M deal in Washington in 2017, when he was working to return from a stress fracture in a knuckle on his pitching hand.