MaxScherzer

News: 3 days agoScherzer's outing Friday was a simulated game, not just a bullpen session, and he was able to throw 65 pitches to hitters, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Spin: Despite the abbreviated nature of summer camp, it appears as though Scherzer will be able to get fully stretched out and not be under any sort of significant limitation to his pitch count when the regular season begins later this month.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: For the first time in seven seasons, Scherzer fell short of either 30 starts or 200 innings pitched in 2019, exhibiting the first disconcerting signs of injury in his career. He made IL trips for a back strain (July) and a mild rhomboid strain (July/August) totaling 43 days lost, and most notably had his World Series Game 5 start pushed back because of neck spasms. Between these ailments and including the postseason, Scherzer's ERA was 3.82 and his WHIP 1.18. He also averaged 5.5 innings and 95.8 pitches per start -- all very good numbers, but considerably short of the 2.71/0.93/6.7/103.3 he averaged in his first four seasons with the Nationals. Still, he toughed it out for long enough to earn his fourth consecutive top-three and seventh consecutive top-five finish in NL Cy Young balloting, and showed no decline relative to his 2015-18 form in terms of his K-rate or average fastball velocity in those 13 season-concluding starts. On a per-start basis, Scherzer makes nearly as good a case as anyone to be picked first at his position. The only thing that should hold you back is the heightened risk that he might not play a full season.