Throughout most of the 2021 season, there has been considerable talk and speculation that 25-year-old Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías and 27-year-old Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler were among the leading candidates to win the 2021 National League Cy Young award, and justifiably so. After all, Urías currently leads all of baseball with his 18 wins (and only three losses) in the 29 games he has started for the Dodgers thus far this season. And Buehler, who, prior to his last few rough starts, had one of the lowest ERAs in the game and still owns an outstanding 2.39 ERA over his 30 starts thus far this season.

But taking absolutely nothing away from these two Cy-Young-worthy Dodgers starters, they, quite frankly, can’t hold a candle to 37-year-old Dodgers right-hander Max Scherzer, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline (along with middle infielder Trea Turner), in exchange for top Dodgers pitching and catching prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz respectively, and minor leaguers Gerardo Carrillo and Donovan Casey.

When Scherzer made his first start in a Dodger uniform back on August 4, he did so with an 8-4 record and a 2.76 ERA. He also had 147 strikeouts under his belt while walking only 28 in the 19 games he had started for the Nats.

In the nine games that Scherzer has started since joining the Dodgers, he is 7-0 with an alien-like 0.78 ERA, 79 strikeouts, and only seven walks.

On Saturday, Scherzer again went 7.0 innings, allowed no runs and only two hits, while walking two and striking out seven Cincinnati Reds batters at Great American Ball Park for his seventh win as a Dodger in nine starts. In doing so, he improved his combined 2021 record to 15-4 and lowered his combined 2021 ERA to an MLB-best 2.08.

Again, taking absolutely nothing away from Urías and Buehler, Scherzer, a slam-dunk first-ballot future Hall of Famer who already has three Cy Young awards, is an eight-time All-Star and won a World Series ring with the Nationals in 2019, has clearly emerged as the odds-on favorite to win the 2021 National League Cy Young award.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *