Washington Nationals

Championships and Hall of Fame careers receive much of the fanfare, but it's often the smaller emotional moments that make sports so special. 

Pitcher Aaron Barrett was the centerpiece of one of those moments Tuesday when Harrisburg Senators manager Matt LeCroy fought through tears to tell him he was headed back to the major leagues.

The reactions from LeCroy as well as Barrett's teammates say plenty about the pitcher's inspirational determination and perseverance on a rocky path back to the Washington Nationals:

The moment Aaron Barrett found out he was going back to the bigs. Congratulations, Aaron!
cc: @Nationals @masnNationals @MLB @MiLB @aaronbarrett30 pic.twitter.com/RSxQ1b9dMT

— Harrisburg Senators (@HbgSenators) September 3, 2019

As Jeff Passan of ESPN detailed, Barrett hasn't pitched in the majors since 2015. He missed the 2016 and 2017 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery and suffering a broken humerus, which Passan called "the worst pitching injury."

He pitched in Low-A ball as a 30-year-old in 2018 and then spent the 2019 campaign on the Nationals' Double-A affiliate before this call up completed his journey back to the highest level.

"Sometimes I need to take a step back and tell myself, 'Dude, you're doing it,'" Barrett said of his comeback in March, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. "It makes me emotional just thinking about it."

It made his teammates and manager emotional as well.

The Washington Nationals should have few regrets over how Bryce Harper turned out. All he did in his seven seasons with them was nab six All-Star nods, a Rookie of the Year and an MVP.

Still, they might lament that Harper didn't have a little more Juan Soto in him.

It's early yet, but Soto has thus far been one of the best young hitters in Major League Baseball history. He debuted in 2018 with 22 home runs and a .292/.406/.517 slash line as a mere 19-year-old, which netted him the best OPS+ (an adjusted version of OPS) ever by a teenager. With a .290/.402/.553 slash line and 29 homers in 2019, the left fielder clearly hasn't lost anything since turning 20 in October.

The left fielder has been especially hot amid Washington's 54-26 stretch since May 24, and he joined some special company when he hit his 50th career homer on August 18:

Juan Soto (@Nationals) is the 3rd player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs before turning 21 years old, joining Mel Ott (61) and Tony Conigliaro (56). pic.twitter.com/qjMLcRG8si

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 18, 2019

Speaking of special company, Soto's 141 career OPS+ puts him in truly rarefied air among all hitters who've logged at least 1,000 plate appearances between their age-19 and age-20 seasons:

• 1. Ty Cobb: 145
• T2. Mickey Mantle: 144
• T2: Mel Ott: 144
• 4. Juan Soto: 141

As of right now, the most accomplished young hitters ever are three all-time greats and then Soto. A few more guys slot in ahead of him if the bar for entry is reset to 500 plate appearances, but they're additional all-timers named Ted Williams, Mike Trout, Frank Robinson, Jimmie Foxx and Rogers Hornsby.

This should answer questions anyone might have had about whether Soto was ready for the spotlight in Washington after Harper jumped ship to the Philadelphia Phillies on a 13-year, $330 million contract. He obviously is, and he looks even more capable of earning his keep in it than Harper was.

To be sure, the spotlight was on Harper even before he arrived in the majors.

Sports Illustrated gave him his first close-up as a 16-year-old in 2009 and he was the Nats' No. 1 pick just a year later. By 2012, Harper was deemed a "surefire superstar" with a "very real chance to develop into the best all-around player in baseball" by Baseball America.

Harper teased that potential as a rookie when his 5.2 wins above replacement set a record for a teenager, according to Baseball Reference. He later realized it in 2015, when he won the National League MVP via 42 home runs and MLB-high marks in OPS+ (198) and WAR (10.0). Based on that trajectory, it's no wonder that he eventually landed the richest free-agent deal in MLB history.

Yet despite his huge contract and the accolades that led to it, there's a vague sense of disappointment over Harper's career which stems from how often his steps forward have been followed by steps back.

He set this tone when he regressed from 5.2 WAR as a 19-year-old in 2012 to 3.7 WAR as a 20-year-old in 2013, and it's never really let up. His remarkable '15 season could have been the thing that set him free, but he's barely been worth more WAR in the four years since (10.1) than he was in the three years leading up to it (9.9).

Injuries of many varieties certainly haven't helped Harper's cause. But as the Phillies now know firsthand—it's taken until August for Harper to truly get hot—he's also prone to plain ol' inconsistency at the plate. He's long had a tendency to lose his approach and take weeks to find it again.

Soto is making hitting history in part because he's Harper's opposite in the consistency department. To wit, here's a comparison of his rolling wRC+ (which is similar to OPS+) to Harper's through his first two seasons:

Soto at 19 and 20 has been frequently hotter and rarely colder than Harper was at those ages. That gets at how Soto is not only a more complete hitter now than Harper was then, but also an increasingly flawless hitter in general.

Especially in light of his age, the most impressive thing about Soto is his knowledge of the strike zone. His overall 22.7 chase percentage since 2018 ties him with Carlos Santana for 10th among all qualified hitters. That's feeding an elite 15.8 walk percentage, and his knack for making contact has led him to an only slightly less elite 0.8 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

If Soto offered nits to pick as a rookie, it's that he concentrated his damage against fastballs and to the opposite field. But rather than let those habits turn into exploitable problems, he's basically erased them.

This is a tale best told by xwOBA, which measures expected production based on strikeouts, walks and contact quality. In 2019, Soto has hit better against breaking balls and off-speed pitches without losing anything against fastballs:

Likewise, the left-handed batter has improved with his batted balls to his pull side and up the middle without compromising his opposite-field ability:

Perhaps the one thing that Soto lacks as a hitter is tremendous raw power. Yet he doesn't have a shot at a 40-homer season strictly by the grace of the juiced ball. Both his average launch angle (11.7 degrees) and exit velocity (90.8 mph) are up in 2019.

Meanwhile, Soto is also evolving outside of the batter's box. In spite of his merely average sprint speed, he's stolen 12 bases in 13 tries. He's also improved his reaction time in the outfield and gone from minus-five to plus-three in defensive runs saved.

It's because of these improvements that Soto's WAR has already escalated from 3.0 last year to 4.3 in 2019. Two seasons does not a career make, but it's a good omen for the Nationals that Soto isn't falling prey to any kind of Harperian curse. He's exclusively taking forward steps, and he almost certainly hasn't even reached his prime yet.

Although he's bound to get buried underneath Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich and Ronald Acuna Jr., Soto's immediate future likely involves some MVP votes. If he doesn't eventually win one in the longer run, he should at least become a regular All-Star and Silver Slugger, and perhaps even a Gold Glover.

All the Nationals have to do is sit back and enjoy it, and perhaps smile at their feat of replacing one once-in-a-lifetime youngster with one who's on track to be even better.

                

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

An accident disrupted Washington Nationals relief pitcher Hunter Strickland's pregame ritual Tuesday afternoon, and the result was a broken nose.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez disclosed to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post that Strickland was hit by a bar in the weight room and "could have injured the right side of his face." The 30-year-old right-hander underwent X-rays at PNC Park. 

Dougherty noted that the right side of Strickland's face was "pretty red and he had a stripped Band-Aid on his nose." 

Soon after, Strickland was playing catch with bullpen catcher Nilson Robledo ahead of the Nationals' game against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning at 7:05 p.m. EST.

Strickland then confirmed he had suffered a broken nose on Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/hstrickland43/status/1163941164157825024

Washington traded with the Seattle Mariners for Strickland and left-hander Roenis Elias at this year's July 31 trade deadline. Strickland had only appeared in four games for the Mariners in 2019—his only season with the team after playing in San Francisco from 2014 to 2018 and contributing to the 2014 World Series-winning team.

Since joining the Nationals, he has recorded a 1-0 record and 1.29 ERA in seven innings pitched across eight games. 

Strickland avoiding major injury is especially positive news for Washington with closer Sean Doolittle on the 10-day injured list due to right knee tendinitis. Elias remains on the IL with a right hamstring strain, which places Strickland at the front of the line as a candidate to fill in at closer. He has 21 career saves, the bulk of which (14) coming last season.

Strickland's last outing was Saturday in Washington's 15-14 loss to Milwaukee in 14 innings when he pitched an inning of no-hit relief in the top of the seventh. 

The 68-56 Nationals are five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and leading the NL wild-card race by two games heading into Tuesday night's action.

After the trade-deadline dominoes fell, Stephen Strasburg remained a member of the Washington Nationals. That was never in doubt.

The question is whether he will be employed in the nation's capital beyond this season. 

The answer is anything but certain.

Strasburg is signed for $25 million next season, $15 million in 2021 and 2022 and $45 million in 2023. That's $100 million in total for the mathematically disinclined. 

The 31-year-old right-hander can also pull an opt-out ripcord this winter and dive into the free-agency waters.

Considering the way he's been pitching and the lack of top-tier arms who will be available as free agents this offseason, it might be wise for him to go that route.

Despite three All-Star appearances and a pair of top-10 National League Cy Young Award finishes, Strasburg has suffered his ups and downs. Injuries and underperformance have frequently derailed his trajectory. 

So far this season, he boasts a 3.26 ERA and 2.94 FIP along with 168 strikeouts in 140.2 frames. His hard-contact rate of 27.4 percent sits below his career average of 28.6 percent.

Yes, he's overshadowed by rotation-mate Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner. But Scherzer recently landed on the 10-day injured list with back issues.

Then there's Patrick Corbin, whom the Nats signed to a six-year, $140 million contract during the offseason. Corbin has been strong with a 3.18 FIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

But Strasburg has largely been Scherzer and Corbin's equal. At times, he's surpassed them.

As Michael Baumann of The Ringer put it: "This year, Strasburg is on pace to throw more than 200 innings for the second time in his career. Not only that, but those innings are of exceptional quality. Strasburg is pitching like the ace he was always supposed to be..."

"His fastball was really, really good, and he had good movement," Nationals skipper Dave Martinez told reporters after Strasburg held the potent Los Angeles Dodgers to one run on two hits with no walks and nine strikeouts in seven innings on July 28. "When he starts mixing all his pitches like that, and [he's] able to throw them for strikes whenever he wants, he's tough."

Strasburg has looked like an ace in fits and starts since the Nationals drafted him first overall in 2009. He made his first All-Star team in 2012, which was also his first full MLB season.

However, he's always hovered slightly below an elite level, in large part due to injuries. Tommy John surgery. Lat strains. Shoulder troubles. 

Still, this winter's free-agent class is weak in the pitching department. The top name is probably decorated but fading veteran Madison Bumgarner. After that, it's an array of doubtful opt-out candidates, including Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish.

On the surface, it may appear unwise for Strasburg to opt out. A guaranteed $100 million is nothing to sneeze at.

On the other hand, he would be the best hurler available and has the stuff and experience to nudge a contender over the top. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies would top the list of teams salivating for his services.

Especially in light of Scherzer's back problems, the Nationals will lean heavily on Strasburg as they try to charge into the playoffs in the first year of their post-Bryce Harper era.

"A lot of times, I think his stuff should be illegal because it's so good," Nationals center fielder Victor Robles told reporters through an interpreter. 

He's been using his off-speed offerings, including his changeup, with increasing frequency and lethal results. Behold, the visual evidence:

Stephen Strasburg, Ridiculous 89mph Changeup. 😮 pic.twitter.com/ilH4QrJq2L

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 28, 2019

Surrendering $100 million in guaranteed money would require Strasburg to take a risky bet on himself. Injuries, regression...stuff happens.

But given the paucity of aces available this winter and his present output, it would make sense for him to seek a new, more lucrative contract.

We do live in an era where Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel dangled unsigned until June. A nine-figure bird in the hand may be worth two in the bush.

But Strasburg would be the toast of the 2019-20 free-agent pitching market, which might lead to an even heftier payday. 

                     

All statistics current as of Wednesday and courtesy of Baseball Reference.

The Washington Nationals spent Wednesday bolstering their bullpen ahead of the 2019 MLB trade deadline.

In a pair of transactions, Washington acquired right-hander Daniel Hudson from the Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Roenis Elias and right-hander Hunter Strickland from the Seattle Mariners. As a result, here is a look at how the Nationals' bullpen stacks up prior to any corresponding roster moves:

• RHP Michael Blazek
• LHP Sean Doolittle (closer)
• LHP Roenis Elias
• LHP Matt Grace
• RHP Daniel Hudson
• RHP Javy Guerra
• RHP Tanner Rainey
• RHP Fernando Rodney
• LHP Tony Sipp
• RHP Hunter Strickland
• RHP Wander Suero

Three players from that list will have to go in order to make room for the trio of Hudson, Elias and Strickland. Doolittle, Rodney and Rainey all figure to be safe. 

The 30-year-old Blazek, who has allowed four runs in four appearances, is a likely candidate to be bumped.

Washington will probably decide between Grace and Sipp after adding another left-handed presence in Elias. Grace (45 appearances) has been used more frequently than Sipp (36), but Grace has allowed left-handers to hit .274 off him this year, while Sipp is slightly better at .255.

Suero (52 appearances) has been used the most out of any Nationals reliever this season and owns a 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings rate, making him a strong candidate to remain in the bullpen. Meanwhile, Guerra has posted a 4.80 ERA in 23 appearances since being claimed off waivers from Toronto in late May.

Regardless of the decisions the team makes, Washington's bullpen is in much better shape than it was to start the day. According to ESPN.com, Nationals rank dead last as a unit with a 5.97 ERA, which is well behind the 29th-place team (Baltimore Orioles, 5.65).

Trade deadline calculus: If you subtract out Trevor Rosenthal's 22.74 ERA with Washington, the Nationals bullpen would have a 5.63 ERA. That would still rank last in the NL.

— Eddie Matz (@eddie_matz) July 31, 2019

The bullpen played a role in Washington digging an early hole this season, but the team has been able to climb back to draw even in the National League Wild Card race at 57-51.

An active deadline has improved the Nationals' bullpen, enhancing the franchise's chances of reaching the postseason in the first year of the post-Bryce Harper era.

The Washington Nationals strengthened their bullpen with hours remaining before Wednesday's MLB trade deadline.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the Nationals acquired Daniel Hudson from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Kyle Johnston.

According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, Washington also landed Roenis Elias in a deal with the Seattle Mariners. Minor leaguers Elvis Alvarado and Taylor Guilbeau are going to Seattle, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

General manager Mike Rizzo didn't stop there. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported the Nationals traded minor league reliever Aaron Fletcher to the Mariners for Hunter Strickland.

This has been a general theme for the Nats in recent years. They traded for Mark Melancon ahead of the 2016 deadline and then got Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson a year later after Melancon had left in free agency.

Washington relievers are 24th in FIP (4.80) and leaving runners on base 65.2 percent of the time, worst in the majors. Doolittle has been excellent in the ninth inning. Bridging the gap to the closer has been the issue for the Nationals, which is what Strickland, Hudson and Elias will address.

Strickland has missed most of the season after suffering a lat strain in March. He returned to the mound Sunday, holding the Detroit Tigers scoreless over one inning in a 3-2 win. 

Strickland obviously carries some risk based on his injury and the fact that his ERA in 2018 (3.97) was over a full run higher than the year before (2.64).

Hudson is averaging 11.71 strikeouts per nine innings and has a 3.19 FIP this year against right-handed batters. Despite being a southpaw, Elias has fared much better against righties as well, sporting a 3.97 FIP and 8.42 strikeouts to 2.23 walks per nine innings.

Although the Nationals are 5.5 games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East, they have a half-game advantage on the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card race.

Instead of getting another elite closer to pair with Doolittle, loading up on more cost-effective relievers was a smart way for Rizzo to shore up one of the team's biggest problems.

              

Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted

Washington Nationals star pitcher Max Scherzer is once again dealing with an injury four days after returning from the injured list.

The team announced Monday that the three-time Cy Young winner had been put back on the injured list, retroactive to July 26, with a mild rhomboid strain. Erick Fedde has been called up from Double-A. 

Scherzer, 35, has once again been Washington's ace this season, headlining a rotation that also includes Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez. The veteran has gone 9-5 with a 2.41 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 189 strikeouts in 134.1 innings.

But injuries have played a role in his 2019 campaign. He was placed on the 10-day injured list in July with a mid-back strain, which interrupted a brilliant nine-game stretch of starts before the All-Star break that saw him go 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA. 

Scherzer returned for a start against the Colorado Rockies on July 25. He allowed three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. 

With Scherzer dealing with another injury, however, the cause for concern may be deepening. While the Nationals could turn to Fedde as their fifth starter while Scherzer is out of action, replacing the seven-time All-Star's impact on the mound is essentially impossible. 

As the Nationals gear up for a late-season battle to earn a postseason berth, the loss of Scherzer for any amount of time could have serious ramifications. 

The Washington Nationals are reportedly interested in a pair of closers to beef up their bullpen ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Nats are actively looking at Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene and Chicago White Sox closer Alex Colome.

Washington is firmly in the playoff hunt, as it is tied for the top wild-card spot in the National League and holds a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Nats own the worst bullpen ERA in Major League Baseball at 5.84, and they also have the highest batting average against at .274. Washington is second to the New York Mets in blown saves with 20.

Sean Doolittle has performed well as Washington's closer, as he is 6-2 with 23 saves and a 2.72 ERA, but the rest of the bullpen has been a disaster. Among pitchers who have made at least 20 relief appearances for Washington this season, Tony Sipp's 4.05 ERA is the best on the team aside from Doolittle.

Both Greene and Colome have enjoyed strong seasons and been two of the best closers in the American League despite playing for struggling teams.

The 30-year-old Greene is having a career year highlighted by a 1.22 ERA and 22 saves in 25 chances. He was also named an All-Star for the first time.

Colome, 30, owns a 2.33 ERA and has converted 21 of his 22 save opportunities. He also has a history of success in the closer role, as he led the AL with 47 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017.

Neither Greene (41 strikeouts in 37 innings) nor Colome (30 strikeouts in 38.2 innings) are overpowering, but they would bring some much-needed experience and effectiveness to the back end of Washington's bullpen.

Both Greene and Colome are arbitration eligible in 2020, so their respective teams may be motivated to move them now.

The one potential cause for concern is the asking price, as MLB.com's Jason Beck reported that Detroit is believed to want shortstop prospect Carter Kieboom from Washington in a deal involving Greene.

MLB.com ranks Kieboom as the Nats' top prospect and the No. 19 overall prospect in baseball.

Greene may not be worth giving up a potential future superstar, but if the Nationals can find a way to bring in a big bullpen arm, they have a chance to do damage in what is a wide-open National League beyond the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer has landed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 10) with a mid-back strain, according to Byron Kerr of MASN Sports.

Scherzer told reporters on July 7 that he started feeling back discomfort after a June 30 outing against the Detroit Tigers. The issue return for a July 6 appearance against the Kansas City Royals, although the right-hander still struck out 25 batters over 15.0 innings while allowing just one run over those two starts.

The injury forced Scherzer to miss the All-Star Game, but he was scheduled to start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. That won't happen, however, as he finishes out his injured-list stint.

"This is not something to be overly concerned about," Scherzer said Friday. "I know the feeling of what it’s going to take to get back on the mound and get completely through the ball. Like I said, we’re only a matter of days. This isn’t a long-term injury."

The three-time Cy Young Award winner has experienced bad injury luck lately. Scherzer took a ball to the face during batting practice June 18 and underwent tests that determined he suffered a broken nose:

An update on Max Scherzer https://t.co/AOxwdFJNbJ

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) June 19, 2019

Scherzer still made his start the next day, striking out 10 in seven innings pitched for a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. His excellent performance through injury came at the same time rumors swirled that the Nationals might trade him:

What would need to happen for the Nats to trade Mad Max?@Ken_Rosenthal weighs in on #HighHeat with @MadDogUnleashed. pic.twitter.com/HP9YUZDeRi

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 18, 2019

However, the Nats have gone 29-11 in its last 40 games to surge into the National League's first wild-card spot. With Washington looking like it will be in contention deep into the summer, the team needs Scherzer back as soon as possible to anchor the staff.

The 34-year-old has gone 9-5 in 19 starts with a 2.30 ERA while leading the National League in strikeouts at 181. 

Max Scherzer deserves a raise. 

It's not often such a thing can be said about a player in Scherzer's position. For one thing, his seven-year, $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals is still one of only 16 $200 million pacts throughout Major League Baseball history.

For another, the story of those 16 deals is largely one of disappointment. Bad memories of Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder still linger. Meanwhile, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano are still generating them.

But Scherzer? Nah. He's already given the Nationals more than they bargained for since they signed him in January 2015, and there's zero indication he'll soon stop doing so. 

The 34-year-old right-hander was plenty good in his first four seasons with the Nationals. He averaged a 2.71 ERA and 282 strikeouts per year while picking up National League Cy Young Awards in 2016 and 2017. He finished second in the voting in 2018.

Yet all this now seems like a mere warm-up for 2019. Though his first 19 starts, Scherzer has racked up a 2.30 ERA and MLB-best totals in innings (129.1) and strikeouts (181). The latter puts him on pace for a final tally of 333 strikeouts. No pitcher has gone there since Randy Johnson in 2002.

One need not look earlier in the 2019 season to find Scherzer's best work. It's happening right now. In nine starts since May 22, he's accumulated a 0.84 ERA and whiffed 94 batters in only 64 innings.

Scherzer is also growing his legend in other ways. He suffered a broken nose on June 18, only to toss seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies the next day. More recently, he returned from paternity leave to whiff 11 over seven more shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. For good measure, he even stole a base.

"I played in Atlanta, and those guys they had were pretty good," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said in reference to the Braves' famed trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, per Jamal Collier of MLB.com. "But what I've seen out of Max is incredible, it really is. No runs? I don't know how many games now where he keeps getting better and better as we go along."

An obligatory disclaimer is that Scherzer isn't invincible. He won't stay this hot forever. And especially at his age, the threat of a sudden and serious arm or shoulder injury is very real.

Yet even if Scherzer never makes another start for the Nationals, they will have already gotten their money's worth out of him.

The Nats essentially challenged Scherzer to prove he deserved a contract worthy of the $215 million deal that Clayton Kershaw had signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers a year earlier. He's done that. He leads not only Kershaw, but also all his pitching peers in wins above replacement since 2015, according to both Baseball Reference (34.6 WAR) and FanGraphs (31.2 WAR).

Objectively quantifying Scherzer's value isn't as simple, but FanGraphs' WAR valuation system puts his worth as a National at $250 million. Switch their preferred version of WAR (based on fielding independent pitching) for RA-9 WAR (based on runs allowed), and it's more like $272 million.

And while the aforementioned disclaimer is certainly necessary, it's also worth taking with a grain of salt.

After all, Scherzer is currently as durable and prolific at eating innings as he's ever been. When combined with the general decline of these qualities among his fellow starting pitchers, what emerges is an ongoing rise in his share of all innings pitched by starters since his first full season in 2009:

Scherzer is also becoming more dominant, as his upward-trending strikeout rate is currently complemented by declines in his walk and home run rates.

This has something to do with how his fastball is defying any kind of normal aging curve. Its average velocity sits at a career-best 95.0 mph, and it's maintaining an elite average spin rate of 2,490 revolutions per minute.

Yet Scherzer's increasing dominance is more so a window into his utter unwillingness to stop working. He came up as a three-pitch guy with a fastball, slider and changeup. He's since expanded his arsenal to five pitches by adding a curveball in 2013 and a cutter last season.

Scherzer is taking full advantage of his deep arsenal this year by only featuring his fastball a career-low 48.1 percent of the time. His swinging-strike percentage has benefited accordingly, and Rob Friedman can demonstrate just how many of those whiffs are of the feeble variety:

Max Scherzer's 11Ks in 21 Seconds.

Just ridiculous stuff. pic.twitter.com/mYsGuu8Qss

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 7, 2019

In addition to what he throws, Scherzer has also adjusted how he pitches.

Many pitchers have only recently come around to the high fastball as a means to combat the launch-angle revolution. Scherzer, however, was an early adopter of the practice. He's been pitching up in the strike zone with his heater since 2015.

As Scherzer explained to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, making that adjustment was a simple matter of using his ears:

"It's everything. I don't think you can peg it down to one point. All I know is that the low fastball is getting crushed. That's why I love being in the NL. Because you're in the batting cages and you see the hitting coaches working with the guys and what they're trying to do with the baseball and how they craft their swings and you start hearing their lingo and you start understanding what they're trying to do with the bat and the way they want to hit the ball in different spots. It all makes sense what's going on on the field."

Scherzer's adoption of the high fastball has worked especially well in the last two seasons, which contain the two lowest slugging percentages against his heater.

It's his other pitches, meanwhile, that are facilitating his sudden transformation into a ground-ball pitcher. Taken together, those two things explain how he's avoided being burned by the most homer-happy season in baseball history.

The elephant in the room is Scherzer's lackluster postseason track record as a National. He didn't dominate in any of the three October starts he made between 2016 and 2017, and he let Game 5 of the 2017 National League Division Series get away when he pitched in relief.

However, to dwell on this is to neglect the fundamental truth that Scherzer's tenure with the Nationals has been an astounding success. They effectively paid for the best pitcher in baseball, and the best pitcher in baseball is what they've received.

                       

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, Baseball Savant and Brooks Baseball.