RADIO
After signing a seven-year mega deal with the Washington Nationals, Max Scherzer did not disappoint in his first year, posting a strong 2.79 ERA to go with a subpar 14-12 record. The record shouldn’t tarnish his season, however, as he threw four complete games, three shutouts, and two no-hitters. His K/9 ratio was a strong 10.86, while he shattered his previous 2.4 BB/9 career low, coming it at 1.3. One of the biggest factors that played a role in Scherzer’s record was his run support, which ranked 35th in the NL at 3.55 runs per start. Out of his 12 losses, only two saw him give up more than four runs and half of them saw him give up three runs or fewer. He’ll be 31 years old for most of the season, still at a young enough age to deliver prime numbers. A strikeout machine (999 over the last four seasons), expect Scherzer to deliver another strong performance in 2016 as the ace of this staff. He’s been proven to be a work horse, starting 30 games or more in every season since 2009, so injuries shouldn’t be a worry. The only thing stopping him from another 18-plus win season is his offense, something largely out of his hands. Look for him to deliver what he’s been delivering consistently: quality, strikeouts, few hits, and a chance to win almost every one of his starts. All this spells an early draft exit for Scherzer, perhaps ahead of every pitcher not named Kershaw.
