Press and Sun-Bulletin

When the Mets signed Max Scherzer to a three year, $130 million contract this past offseason, they knew what they were getting. An eight-time All-Star, a three time Cy Young award winner, a World Series champion and most importantly, a great teammate. The 2021 Mets lacked a leader, or at least someone to keep the room together and the result was an erratic season with no one to steer the ship.

Scherzer, along with manager Buck Showalter, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha and Starling Marte, have provided the club with stability within the clubhouse and created a culture far different than last season. In Scherzer’s case, not only does his track record help change things, but also that he seems to be a really good guy. In games, he is a fearless competitor while being ruthless and intense on the mound. Outside of that, he is seen as an incredible teammate and great clubhouse presence.

His reputation around the league of being a good teammate is what drew the Mets to signing him and in the first few months of his tenure here, you can already see the effect he’s had on everyone else. Many times during a game, you can see Scherzer engaged with many different teammates in the dugout, whether he’s hyping up Francisco Lindor or sitting around with the other starting pitchers sharing information and picking each others brains. Things like this were missing last season and having it now, it’s noticeable in all the right ways.

Another example of Scherzer’s character was how he went about his time during his two rehab starts in Binghamton. After suffering an oblique injury on May 18, the Mets sent Scherzer to rehab with the Double-A Rumble Ponies. Generally, a rehabbing major leaguer tends to treat their fellow minor league teammates to a team meal or a small gift as a gesture of appreciation. After Scherzer’s first rehab start, he went all out and provided a locker room feast that included ribeye steaks, filet mignon and lobster. The number thrown around was close to $7,000 in total.

A wonderful gesture from a player who understands what minor leaguers go through during a season and offered them a kind gesture as a token of appreciation. It didn’t stop there, as Scherzer would go on and buy the entire Rumble Ponies team new AirPods two days after that first start in Binghamton.

“He bought everyone AirPods,” a source told FOX Sports. “We walk in and there’s a clubbie just handing out AirPods saying they’re from Max.”

None of this had to be done but it seems like Scherzer did this out of the kindness of his heart. While we don’t want to reflect on the material stuff fully, the gesture of looking out for your teammates and or lifting someone who is below you is a key trait in what Max Scherzer provides for the New York Mets. The Mets need Scherzer on the mound, now more than ever, but they are also lucky to have him around the others, as he’s been a key player in changing the clubhouse culture around. It certainly helps your team win when everyone is getting along.