Has Max Scherzer decided to retire? The simple answer is that he has not. The 42-year-old star player with the Toronto Blue Jays has not yet decided whether or not he will play in Major League Baseball for one more season. Scherzer said that he will wait until later in the off-season before making up his mind about retiring or about continuing his career. He made those comments after the Blue Jays were eliminated from playoff contention.
The opportunity for Max Scherzer to make what could be his last appearance of the 2026 MLB season came during the regular-season finale of the year on Sunday in Toronto against the Cincinnati Reds. He threw for seven innings, fainted seven batters and allowed one earned run while using 114 pitches. The Blue Jays won the game 5-1. This performance has now introduced another element of uncertainty regarding Max Scherzer's decision to retire. Previously, when asked whether the 2026 season could be his last, Max Scherzer had not given a clear answer.
After the Blue Jays had been eliminated, he said again that he would wait a while before making a decision. "The only thing I'll say about my future here is that I'll wait until later in the off-season to decide whether or not to play next year," Scherzer told the reporters.
The experienced pitcher has also said that he thinks he is capable of continuing to play, which indicates that his decision to retire has not yet been made. It is possible that Scherzer might return for one more season in Major League Baseball, but he would like to decide on this after taking some time off during the season.
Scherzer's possible final MLB start
The game on Sunday had greater importance since it might have been Scherzer's last appearance in the majors. He was assigned to start the game against Cincinnati and put in one of his best performances of the season. He pitched for seven innings and threw 114 pitches even though he had only three days' rest. He allowed six hits and one earned run and walked one while getting seven strikes.
When he left the game the Rogers Centre crowd gave him a standing ovation. Scherzer then gave a hug to Blue Jays manager John Schneider and to his teammates. He went back onto the field as well and spent some time with his wife and children. He then commented on the atmosphere in the stadium.
"That was amazing," Scherzer said. "Adrenaline begins to kick in, the fans start to get into the atmosphere, and it's at that point that I could start feeding off the crowd at the Rogers Centre. I really just reached back and felt as though I were unlimited."
Why Scherzer's future remains uncertain
Scherzer is at the end of his 19th season in the MLB. The right-handed pitcher has for many years taken on heavy workloads and has earned a reputation as one of baseball's most accomplished pitchers. Nevertheless, by the age of 42 the issue of how much longer he wishes to continue is still open.
Scherzer has objected to the notion that his only aim is to conclude his career. When he was asked about it earlier in September he stated, "I'm not slowing down to reach the end, I'm speeding up through the end." This shows that he is still aiming at competing rather than viewing each start as a final appearance.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander's careers
The fact that Scherzer may be retiring also coincides with a significant moment in the career of his former teammate with the Detroit Tigers, Justin Verlander. The two pitchers played together in Detroit and have often been associated with one another throughout their careers. Both of them were approaching the final phase of the 2026 season while uncertainties about their futures remained.
On Saturday Verlander gave what was anticipated to be his last start for Detroit, and on Sunday Scherzer made his start for Toronto. Scherzer has put together an impressive record over the span of his 19-year career, having won three Cy Young Awards, been selected eight times for the All-Star team and won two World Series titles.
Following the game on Sunday, his total number of career strikeout appearances reached 3,557 and this put him in ninth position on MLB's all-time list.
Will Max Scherzer retire?
At the moment there is no final decision. Scherzer has stated that he intends to decide later in the off-season. For now, his prospects of playing in Major League Baseball are still open.
If Sunday was to be his last game, he concluded the season with a memorable performance in front of the Toronto crowd. If he decides to return, the fans will have to wait until his off-season decision to find out where his career will go from there.
At this stage, Max Scherzer's decision to retire has not yet been settled since the experienced pitcher is still deciding if he has one more season left in Major League Baseball.
