AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 15, 2025

Max Scherzer

T-Mobile Park

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. We've talked to Schneids the last week or so. He's mentioned a couple times how you're feeling better physically from some downtime. What does that actually feel like and how do you see that benefiting you?

MAX SCHERZER: I don't want to put too much stock into this. Look, you have hiccups all the time, ailments all the time. I can't tell you how many times I've had something and gone out there and pitched well and won. So I don't want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched. When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude I'm going to win no matter what.

So like I said, I'm not going to point the finger at anything ailment-wise of why I was pitching bad. I was pitching bad. But I have used this time to try to get fully healthy, get everything right, and get everything the way I can get my body fully healthy to go out there and pitch as well as I can. I've used the time as well as I can, you know, through that sim game last week and in position to be able to go out there and make a good start tomorrow.

Q. Having gone through the highs and lows of so many postseason series in your career, how have you managed it just from watching it, emotionally, not even just when you're pitching, and how does it compare now to earlier in your career?

MAX SCHERZER: Yeah, I guess early in your career, you get in these situations, you ride the roller coaster a little bit more. Now I still ride the roller coaster, I just realize things can change on a dime. You can be as low as possible and all of a sudden things can be as high as possible.

So even though we all ride the roller coaster in some form or fashion, I'm just more even-keel, more even-keel in just understanding. I've seen so much happen where teams are playing great and then teams are playing bad and teams are playing great, and somebody could be, you know, struggling the whole series, and then all of a sudden they snap later in part of the series.

So I've seen that happen so many different times and for me, being on this team, I just love our group. I love the way our clubhouse functions, I love the way our guys just play together and how we play team ball. So I know we're down in the hole, 2-0, it's obvious, but I also know we can play great ball at any given time.

Q. I'm sure there are guys in that room who look to you now as someone who has done this before and succeeded. When you were coming up, were there players that you looked to and kind of wanted to watch how they went about their business in a playoff setting?

MAX SCHERZER: Yeah, but it's always kind of individualized. Until you're actually in postseason play and experience it, you have to know how to handle it yourself. You can only hear so much advice from somebody else. I mean, for me, early in my career, I thought I got bad advice. Somebody tried to tell me to stay calm. Yeah, I'm not going to stay calm. That's not good advice for me.

So I've learned that throughout my career, no, you got to kind of match the moment. You got to know who you are, who you are when you go out there, and match that type of moment with your adrenaline. So that's how I go out there and pitch, that's how I handle it, and so looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and do that.

Q. Chris was just in here, and he told us that the team is not shook by being down two games to none and, obviously, that it sucks, but you're not shaken up by it. And he said part of the reason for that was because you didn't play your game in the first two games and get beat that way. Do you see things the same way?

MAX SCHERZER: I mean, I get what he's saying. I don't need to expand upon what he said. We're a great team. I've seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. We've played great ball. Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand what's at stake.

But being around this group and being around this team this whole season, to what he said, yeah, we're not shook because of it. We know what we're capable of, we know we can go out there and play with anybody in the league, so we just got to go out there and take care of business on our end.

Q. As far as you being entrusted with the ball in what's a must-win game, whether it's 2-1 or 3-0, how does that feel to you that you're getting that situation?

MAX SCHERZER: I love it. This is what you play for. You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason. Every game in the postseason's a must-win, so when you step on the field in these situations, you got to bring it, you got to have your A game, you got to really be on top of your stuff. So they're going to be as prepared as heck to go against me and try to beat me, and I got to do the same and find a way to navigate it.

Q. John had been really complimentary about how you and Chris stayed engaged and involved during the ALDS. Like, was that difficult? I mean, you must have been disappointed not to be on that, but to stay involved, how did you stay involved and what did that feel like?

MAX SCHERZER: I mean, Bass and I are boys. I mean, we're kind of like brothers in a way. Obviously, you want to be on the roster, you want to be pitching and contributing, but we're a team and just because we weren't on the roster doesn't mean we're not going to be teammates.

We were in the clubhouse just talking to guys, just how to handle different situations and kind of what to expect, what to think, and how to process everything. A lot it have could be working with stuff off the field as well, making sure all the team stuff functions and works. And that's why we were in this position, because we are a great team, and it's all the individuals in here that have come together.

Q. You talked about the bad advice you got at the beginning of your career. What was the best advice you ever got?

MAX SCHERZER: Best advice? I can't tell you because I still got to use it. (Laughing.)

Q. As you've gotten older, are you more appreciative of the chance to get a playoff start like tomorrow, knowing how rare and how finite these opportunities are?

MAX SCHERZER: Of course. But I mean, I've always appreciated every opportunity. I wouldn't say this is any more or less because you're playing to win the whole thing here. I mean, we're in the ALCS. These are huge starts, huge moments of your career, and to have a chance to go out there tomorrow and get the ball again, this is what you dream of, this is what you play the game for, to be in the postseason going up against the best teams in the league, and you got to go out there and beat 'em.

I've had the opportunity in my career several times to do this, but it never gets old. Always looking forward to these moments, and they're so much fun.

Q. Not to get off track from the Game 4, but the Jays found out today they have five Gold Glove nominees on the team, and Ernie's been nominated for two Gold Gloves. Can you just speak to that and what it's been like pitching in front of this defense?

MAX SCHERZER: Who were the other ones? Probably Varsho. Who else?

Q. Vlad and Kirk.

MAX SCHERZER: Kirky?

Q. And Ty France.

MAX SCHERZER: And Ty France. Well, I mean, it's been great. You go around the diamond, and the way everybody contributes out there. You know, like I said, I keep going back to we're a team. It's the defense, it's the base running, it's the hitting, it's the pitching, it's the relievers, it's the starters. We all complement each other, we all go out there and play so well, so it's great to see those guys get the recognition that they deserve, being nominated for a Gold Glove and what they're able to do defensively.

And you talk about Ernie, and, I mean, he got two nominations? Yeah. He's really surprising, playing with him, how good he is. How good he is defensively, his hands, his bat, everything he does to help the ball club win, so very deserving for him.

Q. You've talked about being relaxed is not a good approach for you, and being a high-adrenaline pitcher. Is there a point where it's like you get too intense? Like, are there times where you've ever had to dial yourself down on the mound?

MAX SCHERZER: Oh, of course. I've learned that throughout the years. But it is harder to have that happen to you in the postseason, but you got to be cognizant of it. So there can be too much of a good thing, but that's where, it's the kind of balance of it, of knowing what works and what doesn't.