NEW YORK — In part for his first career stolen base, but mostly for two dominant starts, Max Scherzer was named the National League player of the week Monday. He is the second National to win the award this season, joining Adam Eaton.
Scherzer leads the majors in strikeouts with 38, is fourth in the National League in batting average against with one more start than his closest competition (.147), and ranks third in the league with a 0.67 WHIP. The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner threw his fifth career shutout last week against the Atlanta Braves, and he followed that with seven innings in which he struck out 11 and retired 20 straight Rockies. The Nationals have won seven games this season, and Scherzer has started three of them.
The 33-year-old has shouldered a substantial workload for this pitching staff, which has thrown more innings per start than anyone in the league. He has thrown 27 innings in four starts. Stephen Strasburg is second in the National League with 26. Their relative dominance in those innings demonstrates the puzzling nature of the Nationals’ early season swoon: Their starting rotation staff has been solid, by and large. Their lineup has an OPS two points lower than the charging Mets. And they have won two player of the week awards already. Interestingly, Scherzer won the award the same week as his former teammate, Justin Verlander, who is off to a hot start for the Houston Astros.
Scherzer will not pitch against the New York Mets this week at Citi Field. His next start is scheduled for Friday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.