You can’t be closer to the Hall of Fame as an active player than Max Scherzer. In addition, the right is on track to seal another masterful season within its arguments for Cooperstown, becoming the 19th mound in National and American League history to reach 3,000 strikeouts for life.
Scherzer joined Justin Verlander as the two active pitchers in reaching that number of winds and, who knows? Perhaps the two enter the Temple of the Immortals at the same time.
There is a long way to go and the club of 3,000 strikes could receive new members.
Here, a look at the serpentineers who could follow Scherzer as the next to reach 3,000 strikes.
VETERANS WITH POSSIBILITIES
Zack Greinke
Age: 37
Total K: 2,799
K / 9 rate in your career: 8.1
You may not know he was next on the list, but he seems to be one or two seasons off the 3,000 mark (punched at 187 in 2019 and 199 in 2018). It should be noted that Greinke is averaging just 6.2 K / 9 this year, its lowest mark since 2005.
forecast: Arrive at. Greinke has no problems staying healthy (although he entered the COVID-19 injury list), even well past 30 years. He will be a free agent in this recess of the season and will have no problems getting a new home (if he decides to keep throwing).
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Age: 33
Total K: 2,658
K / 9 rate in his career: 9.8
Health is the main obstacle on its way to the 3,000 strikes. He was averaging 10.7 K / 9 before his forearm problems began in July. Even with his “problems” between 2017 and 2019, Kershaw never dropped 8.6 K / 9. Kershaw, like Greinke and Scherzer, will be free agent in the winter and will do so with more than 2,400 innings (and 200 more in the postseason) on his arm.
forecast: He will get it. There’s no way the Dodgers will let him go, right? And if he keeps throwing in the middle of so many stars, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue until he can. Kershaw has not lowered his numbers when he is healthy. Three thousand strikes will increase their already solid bonds for the Hall of Fame.
Cole Hamels
Age: 37
Total K: 2,560
K / 9 rate in your career: 8.5
For a moment, it looked like Hamels, Kershaw, Scherzer, and David Price would be in the same body of pitchers. Then Hamels ’arm didn’t respond well and Los Angeles sent him to the 60-day injury list to end his 2021 before he started.
forecast: It will fall short. He has more regular season tickets than Kershaw and is four years older. In addition, it has released just 3.1 episodes since the end of 2019.
Jon Lester, Cardinals
Age: 37
Total K: 2,469
K / 9 index in his career: 8.2
Lester is rambling between 4.00 and 5.00 effective and will likely launch with one-year contracts from now on. His 13.6% strikeout is the lowest among all pitchers with at least 100 innings this season.
forecast: Lester’s arguments for the Hall of Fame are based on his post-season heroic performances, but the 3,000 strikes will not be part of his history.
Chris Surt, Red Sox
Age: 32
Total K: 2,037
K / 9 rate in your career: 11.1
This is the most interesting case on the list. On the one hand, Surt was at the top of K / 9’s historic roster until last week, when Robbie Ray got his 1,000 innings to qualify and take first place. On the other hand, Tommy John is recently returning from surgery. On the one hand, Surt is just 15 pitchers in LN / LA history reaching 2,000 fans in 30 years. Of the other, only seven of the other 14 reached 3,000.
forecast: It will be closed, but Surt will get it. Pitchers usually improve after surgery Tommy John and Surt are in a stable position in Boston, under contract until the end of 2024.
David Price (2,037 strikeouts), Adam Wainwright (1,997), Madison Bumgarner (1,936), Stephen Strasburg (1,718).
Price’s health is starting to be an issue and is now more of a hybrid between relief and opener. Wainwright is struggling against time, but he’s already 40 years old. Bumgarner’s strike rate plummeted in Arizona and Strasburg’s injury history complicates it.
YOU NEED TO PUT AN EYE ON THEM …
Gerrit Cole, Yankee
Age: 30
Total K: 1,647
K / 9 rate in your career: 10.4
Cole was not a candidate for the 3,000 strikes when he was with the Pirates, but he has obviously taken advantage of the time since then. The shortened season of 2020, at its best with 29 years and after campaigns with 276 and 326 strikes, could take its toll on him at the end. He signed with the Yankees until at least 2028. The key is that he can maintain the level after 30 years.
forecast: Cole starred in the headlines when he started the topic of “sticky substances,” but he hasn’t slowed down in the wind department. Discarding a health issue, there’s no reason to think Cole can’t get there.
Jacob deGrom, Mets
Age: 33
Total K: 1,505
K / 9 rate in your career: 10.7
We just saw a Jacob deGrom compete with the Dominican Pedro Martínez as the most dominant pitcher we can remember, but we also witnessed the health risks that go into averaging triple digit speed with each straight thrown (and 94-96 mph with each slider and shift). He has been a 3,000-punch pitcher since he debuted in 2014, but injuries, including Tommy John surgery, prevented him from making his debut until he was 26 years old.
forecast: It’s hard to predict deGrom’s health after his 30. deGrom already has a solid case for the Hall of Fame, but if he enters, it’s probably without the traditional amount of wins and strikes.
Puerto Rican José Berríos (27, 830 strikes), Venezuelan Germán Márquez (26, 807), Lucas Giolito (26, 675) and Shane Bieber (26, 629) could exceed 1,000 winds before turning 30, which leaves them with a chance if they speed up the pace.
Walker Buehler (27, 609) has the arsenal to be a punch artist throughout his career. Jack Flaherty (25, 563) continues to add punches, despite declining after 2019. Dominican Freddy Peralta (25, 430) lost valuable innings as a reliever, but has shone as an opener. Mexican Julio César Uries (25, 407) started early at 19 years old.
Dominican Sandy Alcántara (26, 415) has some deGrom speed characteristics, but will need to hurry.