The MLB pitch clock and Max Scherzer are both already insufferable and it’s still only the first week of March. 

To bring everyone up to speed, a pitcher now has 15 seconds to begin their motion after receiving the baseball if the bases are empty. If there’s at least one runner on base, they have 20 seconds to throw a pitch. A violation by the pitcher results in an automatic ball. 

Here’s what Max Scherzer did during the Mets Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals. 

Max Scherzer Pitch Clock Management

Let’s break it down..

Scherzer waits for Riley Adams to get set in the batters box with 13 seconds left on the clock. Scherzer then just stands there on the mound as the clock counts down, which forces Adams to use his single timeout of the at-bat. As soon as the umpire acknowledges the timeout, Scherzer is already set and ready to throw a pitch the second that Adams re-enters the batters box. He then strikes out Adams because all sense of timing was completely eliminated.

Cool. 

Max Scherzer explained his pitch clock management after the game. 

Originally tweeted by Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) on March 3, 2023.

Look, I get it. I just don’t like Max Scherzer so I’m not going to sit here and drool over him working the pitch clock. I’m sure we’ll see it a lot throughout the year.

Having a pitch clock regardless is stupid and it’s going to have significant changes on the way baseball is played this season. 

Mets fans were literally using the pitch clock like an NBA shot clock and counting down the seconds left in attempt to throw off opposing pitchers. Fans loudly counted down as if the clock was seconds away from expiring, even though there was really much more time remaining. Kinda funny, but again, the pitch clock and Mets fans are the worst so I refuse to give them much credit.

Read: Phillies Weekend Roundup – Andrew Painter’s elbow, Jose Alvarado’s new pitch, and more >>

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