Max Scherzer’s resume is unrivaled by most pitchers across MLB history.
With over 200 wins and 3,000 strikeouts in the regular season, three Cy Young awards, a 20-strikeout game, two no-hitters and more, Scherzer’s arm was one of the most electric of the 2010s and 2020s. It’s not just individual success that has followed Scherzer, though.
The right-hander has played for seven different MLB franchises. And with four of those teams, he’s made a run to the World Series, cementing his baseball legacy as a champion multiple times.
Here’s a breakdown of Scherzer’s history in the World Series.
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How many World Series has Max Scherzer won?
Max Scherzer has won two World Series. His first title came with the Washington Nationals in 2019, and his second came with the Texas Rangers in 2023.
He has made appearances in the Fall Classic with four total teams, with the Nationals and Rangers joining the Detroit Tigers in 2012 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025.
Scherzer pitched two World Series games for the Nationals in 2019, when they took down the Houston Astros in seven games to claim their first title in franchise history. He then made one World Series start for the Rangers in 2023, when they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.
Here’s a look at Scherzer’s World Series history:
| Season | Team | Opponent | Scherzer Starts | Series Result |
| 2012 | Tigers | Giants | 1 | L, 4-0 |
| 2019 | Nationals | Astros | 2 | W, 4-3 |
| 2023 | Rangers | Diamondbacks | 1 | W, 4-1 |
| 2025 | Blue Jays | Dodgers | 1 | TBD |
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Max Scherzer World Series record, history
Max Scherzer has a 1-0 record with a 3.80 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 23.2 innings across five World Series starts in his career. He is the only pitcher in MLB history to pitch for four teams in the World Series.
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of his performances in the Fall Classic:
Tigers vs. Giants, Game 4, 2012 World Series
- Final Score: Giants 4, Tigers 3
- Scherzer final line: 6.1 innings, 3 ER, 7 hits, 1 walks, 8 strikeouts
Scherzer made his World Series debut in 2012 with the Tigers already facing a 3-0 series deficit.
“I absolutely relish it,” Scherzer said before his start, per Sports Illustrated. “This is the start of a lifetime to be able to pitch in the World Series.”
In the 2012 regular season, Scherzer had a 16-7 record with 231 strikeouts. He lined up against San Francisco’s Matt Cain, going 6.1 innings for Detroit in the elimination matchup — but his Tigers once again came up short, allowing the Giants to celebrate a title after Game 4.
Scherzer pitched 6.1 innings but allowed three runs. In the second, Brandon Belt’s RBI triple made it 1-0 Giants, then Buster Posey broke another tie in the sixth inning with a two-run home run off Scherzer.
24-year-old Brandon Belt triples off Max Scherzer to give the Giants the lead in Game 4 of the 2012 World Series
The two-time champion and All Star first baseman left his mark in San Francisco from Day 1 pic.twitter.com/CsnO4WUhc4
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 10, 2023
Detroit tied it at three with a Delmon Young home run, but the Giants won in the 10th inning thanks to a go-ahead RBI single from Marco Scutaro.
On this day in 2012, the Giants won the World Series.
This was the second of three World Series championships for Bruce Bochy. Is a fourth one on the horizon? pic.twitter.com/ZjVNqZN3B5
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 28, 2023
Nationals vs. Astros, Game 1, 2019 World Series
- Final Score: Nationals 5, Astros 4
- Scherzer final line: 5.0 innings, 2 ER, 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Washington took Game 1 of the 2019 World Series, a matchup that Scherzer got the ball for. He went five innings for the Nationals before they went to Patrick Corbin and their bullpen.
Scherzer struck out seven Astros batters, but allowed a two-run double to Yuli Gurriel in the first inning. Still, Washington jumped on Gerrit Cole in the middle innings, taking a 5-4 victory to begin the series.
Nationals vs. Astros, Game 7, 2019 World Series
- Final Score: Nationals 6, Astros 2
- Scherzer final line: 5.0 innings, 2 ER, 7 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
For the second time in the 2019 World Series, Scherzer got the ball for the Nationals in Game 7, with the team’s first-ever championship on the line. He turned in five more innings of two-run ball.
Houston got out to a 2-0 lead vs. Scherzer, with a Gurriel home run and an RBI single from Carlos Correa giving the Astros the upper-hand. However, the Nationals’ bats came alive in the later innings for a 6-2 win, as they celebrated a World Series win.
Rangers vs. Diamondbacks, Game 3, 2023 World Series
- Final Score: Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 1
- Scherzer final line: 3.0 innings, 0 ER, 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Despite starting the 2023 season with the New York Mets as an aging veteran, Scherzer wound up starting Game 3 of the 2023 Fall Classic for the Rangers. He wasn’t used extensively, pitching three innings with the series tied 1-1, but he was effective.
Facing his old Diamondbacks team, Scherzer pitched three scoreless innings with one strikeout. Texas used a Corey Seager home run and RBI single from Marcus Semien to take the 3-1 win.
Blue Jays vs. Dodgers, Game 3, 2025 World Series
- Final Score: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 5
- Scherzer final line: 4.1 innings, 3 ER, 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Scherzer started Game 3 of the 2025 Fall Classic for the Blue Jays. He wasn’t used extensively, pitching just four innings with the series tied 1-1.
Scherzer gave up two home runs in those four innings, one to Teoscar Hernandez in the second inning and then another to Shohei Ohtani in the third inning. After that, he was pulled in favor of Mason Fluharty. The Blue Jays went on to use eight other pitchers in that game, which went 18 innings, the longest in World Series history. Brendon Little was credited with the lost after Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home off of him in the final frame.
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Max Scherzer playoff stats
Over his MLB career, Scherzer has appeared in 11 postseasons for six different teams. He’s accumulated an 8-8 record with a 3.82 ERA and 179 strikeouts over his 32 postseason games.
Here’s a look at Scherzer’s year-by-year and total playoff numbers:
| Season | Team | Games (Starts) | Record | ERA | IP | Hits | ER | WHIP | Walks | Strikeouts |
| 2011 | Tigers | 4 (3) | 1-1 | 5.74 | 15.2 | 15 | 10 | 1.53 | 9 | 14 |
| 2012 | Tigers | 3 (3) | 1-0 | 2.08 | 17.1 | 12 | 4 | 0.92 | 4 | 26 |
| 2013 | Tigers | 4 (3) | 2-1 | 2.82 | 22.1 | 12 | 7 | 1.03 | 11 | 34 |
| 2014 | Tigers | 1 (1) | 0-1 | 6.14 | 7.1 | 7 | 5 | 1.09 | 1 | 6 |
| 2016 | Nationals | 2 (2) | 0-1 | 3.75 | 12.0 | 10 | 5 | 1.00 | 2 | 12 |
| 2017 | Nationals | 2 (1) | 0-1 | 3.68 | 7.1 | 4 | 3 | 1.09 | 4 | 8 |
| 2019 | Nationals | 6 (5) | 3-0 | 2.40 | 30.0 | 21 | 8 | 1.20 | 15 | 37 |
| 2021 | Dodgers | 4 (3) | 0-1 | 2.16 | 16.2 | 10 | 4 | 0.90 | 5 | 23 |
| 2022 | Mets | 1 (1) | 0-1 | 13.50 | 4.2 | 7 | 7 | 1.50 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | Rangers | 3 (3) | 0-1 | 6.52 | 9.2 | 11 | 7 | 1.66 | 5 | 7 |
| 2025 | Blue Jays | 2 (2) | 1-0 | 4.50 | 10.0 | 8 | 5 | 1.30 | 5 | 8 |
| Totals: | 32 (27) | 8-8 | 3.82 | 153.0 | 117 | 65 | 1.16 | 61 | 179 |
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