The Show: A NY Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman · NYPost

Max Scherzer Reveals Why He Returned For 19th Season + Opening Day Is Here!

·47 min·3 clips

Scherzer says piano playing helped his thumb because the finger positions changed how he gripped the ball.

1. The Show: A NY Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman centers on Opening Day, Max Scherzer, and the 2026 baseball landscape. 2. Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman host the episode, and Max Scherzer joins as a 19th-season pitcher, three-time Cy Young winner, and two-time champion. 3. The episode asks why Scherzer is still pitching, how the Blue Jays handle a World Series hangover, and which contenders stand out before the season begins. 4. The first major discussion focuses on the Yankees opening in San Francisco against the Giants and why Sherman and Heyman picked them to win the AL East. 5. They name Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Clarke Schmidt, and Will Warren while arguing that New York’s rotation depth could spill into the bullpen. 6. The hosts also point to the Yankees’ defense, base running, and right-left lineup balance, including Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Austin Wells, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Ben Rice. 7. The Mets segment turns on Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Christian Scott, and Brandon Tong as the hosts weigh rotation depth against bullpen uncertainty. 8. The discussion of the Mets’ offense names Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Álvarez as possible drivers of a strong run-scoring team. 9. Sherman and Heyman then broaden the conversation to the Dodgers, describing Los Angeles as expensive, loaded, and still vulnerable because of injuries and rotation questions around Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Justin Wrobleski. 10. They also mention the Cubs, Detroit, Seattle, Boston, San Diego, Arizona, and Colorado while talking through division races and award predictions. 11. Scherzer opens by saying he is having fun, still loves pitching, and still believes he can be a starter on a World Series team. 12. He says the Blue Jays were “a click away” from winning it all last year and that he did not want his last pitch to be Game 7. 13. When asked about the World Series loss, he says no one on the roster deserves blame and describes the Isaiah Kiner-Falefa play as more complicated than it looked live. 14. Scherzer says the Blue Jays cannot assume they will simply walk back into first place in the AL East because the division is a “beast” and everyone will be chasing them. 15. He explains that piano playing helped his thumb because the chords and finger positions changed how he gripped the ball and made his hand feel stronger. 16. Scherzer says he tried every doctor, cortisone shots, needling, shockwave treatment, and other interventions before noticing the piano-related improvement. 17. He describes the current version of his pitching as more feel-based, with better sequencing, more awareness of breaking balls, and a stronger sense of when to attack the zone. 18. The interview moves in a conversational, back-and-forth style, with Sherman and Heyman pressing for detail while Scherzer answers in long, specific explanations. 19. Listeners who follow the Blue Jays, Yankees, Mets, or pitching mechanics will get the most out of this episode. 20. Listeners looking only for quick scores or highlights may skip the long season-preview sections.

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