Mets’ Max Scherzer Relishes Newfound Power Due to Rule Changes

The New York pitcher appeared in his first spring training game of the year on Sunday.

Mets pitcher Max Scherzer is already a fan of the implementation of the pitch clock in MLB just a few days into spring training.

The right-handed ace made his spring training debut on Sunday against his previous team, the Nationals, pitching two innings. In those innings, Scherzer recorded five strikeouts, allowing three hits and one earned run.

After those two innings with the new pitch clock, Scherzer said he already “loves” the system because he feels like he has more control over the game.

“Really, the power the pitcher has now—I can totally dictate pace,” Scherzer told reporters. “The rule change of the hitter having only one timeout changes the complete dynamic of the hitter-and-pitcher dynamic. I love it.”

• Get your seats to New York Mets games at SI Tickets

Scherzer took advantage of dictating the pace on Sunday. Pitchers have 15 seconds between pitches if no one is on base and 20 seconds with a baserunner. The timer begins when the pitcher receives the ball.

Scherzer took a slow approach when Nationals third baseman Michael Chavis stepped out of the batter’s box when he thought Scherzer was pitching too slowly. Then Scherzer took just 10 seconds to make the next pitch.

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” Scherzer said. “There’s rules, and I’ll operate within whatever the rules are.”

Even though the general reaction to the pitch clock has been positive, players still are getting adjusted to the new rule. In the first 35 spring training games from Friday to Sunday, there were 69 pitch-clock violations, per The Athletic.