Max Scherzer had a successful experimentation day on Sunday during the Mets vs. Nationals exhibition game at Clover Park.
The pitcher wore PitchCom on his glove and had the opportunity to pitch with runners on base.
However, his primary focus was on how he could use the MLB’s new pitch clock to his advantage.
Scherzer had been planning for this since last spring, and he now feels that he is more in control than ever.
With the hitter receiving only one timeout per at-bat, Scherzer believes that he can dictate the pace and change the dynamic of the hitter and pitcher.
He can work quickly or slowly and mess with the hitter’s timing.
During the game, Scherzer stood on the rubber with the ball, ready to throw a pitch the moment the hitter looked up.
After Michael Chavis had already used a timeout in the second inning, Scherzer consulted with the home plate umpire, David Rackley, to ensure that he was interpreting the rules correctly.
Scherzer allowed one run on three hits over two innings with five strikeouts.
He encountered trouble in the second inning, but he managed to strike out the next three batters after allowing an RBI double to Alex Call that put runners on second and third.
For Scherzer, it was an opportunity to work in a game for the first time with Omar Narvaez behind the plate.
Scherzer provided signals to Narvaez through PitchCom on his glove, which was the first time Scherzer had given signals instead of receiving them from the catcher.
Scherzer believes that it’s good to pitch in traffic during spring training as it prepares him for regular-season situations.
Scherzer last year had Tomas Nido and James McCann as his main targets behind the plate, but Nido remains, and rookie Francisco Alvarez is another option.
Scherzer expects it to take some time to mesh with Narvaez, but he believes that it’s crucial to find the time when the catcher is right and he is wrong, and vice versa.
»Max Scherzer records successful experimentation day during match«
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