Guest Highlight: Max Scherzer
21
APRIL, 2020
Max Scherzer is native of Chesterfield, Missouri. He is nicknamed Mad Max and is a professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, and later played for the Detroit Tigers, prior to joining the Nationals.
He has been an important figure in both the Tigers’ and Nationals’ playoff presence, including Detroit’s four consecutive American League Central titles from 2011 to 2014 and two of Washington’s National League East titles, culminating in winning the 2019 World Series as a Wild Card team.
A power pitcher with a low three-quarter-arm delivery, Scherzer has achieved numerous strikeout records and distinctions. He is the tenth pitcher in history to garner at least three Cy Young Awards, the sixth to record two no-hitters in one season, the fifth to produce more than one immaculate inning, and the second to strike out at least 200 batters in a season eight years in a row. He is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Scott Bird was his Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Missouri. Coach Bird says Max was the most focused, hardest working, driven, baseball player he ever coached. Coach Bird says Max made a conscious effort after his freshmen to carry over all his championship principles to every aspect of his life. Max has given credit to Coach Bird for a weight room mindset that he has carried to the Big Leagues. He attacks his training regimen with the tenacity he employs when facing opposing hitters.
I personally remember watching Max on squat days. Our staff used to watch him in amazement because he was a baseball pitcher who got mentally jacked up to hit big weights in the Squat rack. I can tell you he didn’t leave anything on “The Table.”
Now every time I watch Max pitch, I think about all the work he has put in to be one of the best. It should be no surprise he has had the outstanding career he continues to have. I am excited to have him on Beyond Sets and Reps. BTW, we have been working on getting him on for over a year.