This year’s version of spring training has brought a new experiment to Major League Baseball: the ABS system. As the players adjust to yet another new set of rules, they are enjoying the process. One such encounter took place on Sunday when the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies squared off in Dunedin. Max Scherzer, the likely future Hall of Famer, took the hill for Toronto. The leadoff hitter for the Phillies? None other than Trea Turner, Scherzer’s former teammate and close friend. So, Turner decided to troll Scherzer by challenging his first pitch of the afternoon, a surefire strike.
“Just some good heat going on behind the scenes there,” Scherzer said to Zolecki after the matchup. “Trea and I, we’re good friends, so we’ll have a laugh. They’re just messing with me. There was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes there. I can’t take these at-bats seriously. These are practice games going against good friends of mine. Too many good stories together and Trea is obviously one of my favorite teammates of all time.”
It was a fun moment for all parties, and it showed just how close the duo of Scherzer and Turner are. They played together with the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers for seven seasons, so the troll strike was just another moment in their relationship. This could be Scherzer’s final season in the majors, as the long-time ace is 40 years old and is coming off a couple of injury plagued seasons with the New York Mets and Texas Rangers. A return to October and a chance to chase one more title is something that the man also known as “Mad Max” would undoubtedly like. At the moment, it looks as if the Blue Jays have at least an outside shot at doing that. Can Scherzer spin one more vintage season before riding off into the sunset?
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays hope to return to October this season
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The Blue Jays have a deep and talented roster. That much is very apparent. The problem is, they play in what is arguably baseball’s toughest division. The New York Yankees won the division and pennant. The Tampa Bay Rays have been perennial contenders for much of the last few years. The Boston Red Sox continued their reload. The Baltimore Orioles have one of the deepest organizations in baseball. The Jays will have to rise to the occasion in order to make it back to October.
Luckily, they now have Scherzer. They also added outfielder Anthony Santander, relief ace Jeff Hoffman and second baseman Andres Gimenez, among others. They have superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a contract year. Shortstop Bo Bichette is one of the best offensive threats at his position when healthy. The pieces are in place. Now, it’s time to adapt to the new rules, win some ball games and get back to the postseason. Doubt Toronto at your risk.
