1. In his last 11 starts (since June 28) Max Scherzer is 8-1 with a 2.94 ERA.
2. In the 15 starts before that, he was 6-5 with a 5.12 ERA.
3. But according to baseball_reference.com, he’s thrown the same percentage of strikes (64 percent, including those put in play) in his last 11 starts that he’s thrown each year he’s been a Tiger.
4. The difference is, that in his last 11 starts, the combination of Scherzer’s called and swinging strikes is up to 30 percent (18 looking/12 swinging), reflecting unhittable stuff.
5. As a point of reference, during his amazing 12-0 stretch last year, Justin Verlander was at 29 percent (20-9).
For the entire season, though, Verlander was at 30 (19-11).
6. But that’s how what you’re seeing in Scherzer, hitters being overmatched, translates numerically.
It’s math stating the obvious: He’s blowing hitters away.
7. Another case in point: When Doug Fister went 8-1 for the Tigers after being acquired last year, he also was at 30 percent (22-8).
8. Get to 30 percent, which is where Scherzer can be found, and chances are you’re winning a lot of games.
9. What’s a bad percentage?
10. How about 23 for Toronto’s Ricky Romero, 0-10 since June 27?
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