Max Scherzer turns World Series heartbreak into a powerful message

That's the part that stands out with Scherzer. He's 41, heading into his 19th big-league season, and the loss in Game 7 at Rogers Centre still sits right on him.

He didn't dance around it, either. Scherzer said you never get over a World Series loss like that, and for a veteran with his résumé, that tells you exactly where his head still is.

For Toronto, that matters more than any spring cliché. The Blue Jays aren't asking Scherzer to be a mascot for urgency. They're asking him to set the tone on a club still trying to turn last October into something bigger.

There's weight behind that because Scherzer was part of the run. In Game 7 against the Dodgers, he allowed 1 run in 4.1 innings before the Blue Jays fell 5-4 in 11 innings.

So this isn't some recycled veteran speech. The hurt is tied to a game, a stadium, and a finish that slipped away when Toronto was right there.

And the Blue Jays need that edge now. Cody Ponce's injury has already tested the rotation depth, which makes Scherzer's presence feel even bigger than it did on Opening Day.

The other part of the story is how close Scherzer came to not doing this anymore. He said the thumb trouble had pushed him so far that, without finally finding an answer, he would have retired last year.

That answer came from a weird place. Scherzer found a piano in his Toronto condo, started playing again while teaching his kids, and noticed his hand felt better after working through the keys.

From there, the fix became part of his routine. Scherzer now plays every day and estimates about 3 hours of piano between starts, believing the fingertip work finally loosened the problem that had lingered for 3 years.

That detail says plenty about why Toronto bet on another year. This wasn't just a club bringing back a famous arm. It was bringing back a starter who believes he solved the issue that nearly drove him out of the game.

It also sharpens the stakes around 2026. Scherzer re-signed with the Blue Jays on March 2 because he still believes he can be a starting pitcher on a World Series team.

That's the standard in his mind, and it should be the standard in Toronto's clubhouse, too. Not making the playoffs. Not hanging around the race. Winning the whole thing.

So when Scherzer says he has not gotten over that loss, the Blue Jays should take that as good news. It means one of the most intense arms on the staff is still pitching like unfinished business is sitting right in front of him.