Early in $210M Deal, Max Scherzer on Road to Elite Cy Young Company

When Max Scherzer signed his seven-year, $210 million megadeal with the Washington Nationals this winter, the question was whether he'd live up to the money. Less than two months into the season, we've got a new question: Can Scherzer join one of the game's most elite fraternities?

We're talking about pitchers who've won a Cy Young Award in both leagues. It's a short list full of icons: Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay and Gaylord Perry.

Three of those players (Perry, Martinez and Johnson) are in the Hall of Fame. Halladay has a decent chance of getting in when he's eligible. And Clemens would have been a first-ballot lock if not for the stain of steroid allegations.

At age 30, Scherzer is still building his Cooperstown resume. Adding his name to that group would be an excellent attachment under the "special skills" section.

We're a few months away from serious awards talk, obviously. But right now, Scherzer looks like the front-runner in the National League Cy Young race, particularly with Clayton Kershaw—the reigning NL Cy Young and MVP winner—off to an uncharacteristically bumpy start.

Entering play Monday, Scherzer ranked among the NL's top five starters in ERA (1.67), strikeouts (72) and innings pitched (64.2). 

If you like WAR, Scherzer's 2.5 is tied with Atlanta Braves pitcher Shelby Miller's mark for second among Senior Circuit pitchers, topped only by A.J. Burnett of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2.6, per ESPN.com. With all due respect to Burnett, who seems to have discovered the fountain of youth in his age-38 season, we'll put our money on Scherzer to sustain that pace.

It's tempting to ascribe some of Scherzer's success to the switch from the AL to the NL, where he doesn't have to deal with the designated hitter and instead gets to face generally weak-hitting opposing pitchers. 

But just look at Jon Lester, another top-shelf AL arm who switched leagues this winter. Lester has settled down lately, but he had an atrocious April, surrendering 29 hits and 15 runs in 21.2 innings.

For Scherzer, the transition has been seamless.

"He’s always fighting, always scratching and trying to do what he can do to help this team win, if that’s in the box or if that’s on the mound," Nats outfielder Bryce Harper, whose offensive explosion has paired nicely with Scherzer's dominance on the mound, told James Wagner of the Washington Post. "He's unbelievable out there, and it's fun to watch."

Scherzer has been among the game's top arms since 2013. That's the first year he eclipsed the 200-inning mark, with 214.1, while striking out 240 and posting an American League-leading 0.970 WHIP for the Detroit Tigers. It's also the season he won the AL Cy Young Award.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Last year, Scherzer's ERA and WHIP inched up, but he set a career high with 252 punch-outs as the Tigers won another AL Central crown. And the right-hander cashed in over the winter, joining a Nationals rotation already stocked with studs.

So far, he's emerged as an ace among aces, and that's made Washington's decision to sign him look pretty dang savvy, despite the club's seeming lack of need.

In fact, the rest of the Nats' hyped rotation isn't delivering. Doug Fister is on the disabled list with a forearm injury. Jordan Zimmermann has struggled in stretches. And Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg own ERAs of 4.53 and 6.50, respectively. 

Remove Scherzer from the mix, and it's difficult to imagine the Nationals sitting atop the NL East, as they currently do.

In a way, Scherzer has been a victim of his own success, at least when it comes to media attention, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post noted:

"

Improbably — because if there’s one thing $210 million buys, it's a whole lot of scrutiny — Max Scherzer’s dominance so far this season has been relegated to an afterthought. …

Great expectations gain more attention when they are disappointed than when they are met — a reality Scherzer and his teammates will face all season, regardless of how it turns out. Scherzer shouldered the greatest of expectations when he signed in D.C. Quietly or not, he is meeting them.

"

True enough, but make no mistake: Scherzer will get the accolades he deserves if he keeps this up. Will it be enough to crash the exclusive "Cy Young in both leagues" party? We'll find out.

For now, one thing's clear: Scherzer is pitching like a man who's worth every penny.

All statistics current as of May 24 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.