D-Backs’ Scherzer gains valuable experience in debut season

Not all seasons can be measured by wins and loses. Such a stat doesn’t tell the story and it won’t explain the journey. The passage for Diamondbacks pitcher Max Scherzer exemplifies this.

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Scherzer made his major league debut this season on April 29, pitching in relief against the Houston Astros. After 4 1/3 perfect innings with seven strikeouts, he was placed in Arizona’s starting rotation for the season. Despite going 0-4 in his seven starts, Scherzer maintained a 3.05 ERA while racking up 66 strikeouts against just 21 walks.

And he’s not done either. Scherzer currently plans on making four starts in the Arizona Fall League before officially heading into his offseason.

Scherzer isn’t about to complain about his record.

“It’s your dream to pitch in the big leagues. Obviously that’s your main goal and I’m happy to be here,” he said.

After not signing after being drafting by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003, Scherzer received his second opportunity in 2006 when he was drafted 11th overall by the Diamondbacks after attending the University of Missouri, receiving Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors there in 2005.

His time in Arizona’s farm system was kept short however, as he moved up quickly.

“You get a promotion from each stop; it’s very gratifying for me. This is where you want to be, this is the level you want to pitch at, and (where) you want to succeed at. It’s not about being successful in Double-A; the goal is to be successful in the major leagues.”

Scherzer says he’s grateful for an Arizona fan base that has made his transition into the big leagues all the easier.

“They’ve been great. Everyone’s been very positive. They were really cheering for me when I made my debut and you know, I don’t forget things like that,” he said.

Scherzer said the biggest difference was in simply knowing how to get used to his new surroundings and the major league game. “(It’s) just getting acclimated to how you approach the scouting report and the game. You just got to slow the game down, bring the game to you.”

There’s also less room for error, Scherzer said. “The lineups are so deep; from one to seven, everybody really has strengths. When you have mechanical issues, you have to be able to adjust on what you’re doing within the game quicker than in any other level you can be at.

“That’s the biggest adjustment for me. I’ll start having mechanical …flare-ups, (or) mishaps, and I have to be able to adjust quicker than I ever had to do in my life.”

Despite the excitement of this season, Scherzer is looking forward to the offseason and finally getting his chance to relax.

“You’ve got to shut down,” he said. “You have to shut down completely, you can’t touch a weight, you just got to passively do nothing. You’ve been doing this for so long that you need a break physically and mentally from a pitching perspective.”