Dodgers fans salivating at the idea of getting revenge vs Max Scherzer in World Series

The marriage between Max Scherzer and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 lasted just two months, ended in betrayal and left scars. But four years later, the Dodgers have a chance to turn an old wound into a full-circle redemption arc as they face off against their former pitcher – now with the Toronto Blue Jays – in the World Series.

When the Dodgers traded for Scherzer at the 2021 deadline, he was supposed to be the ace who pushed them over the top. He absolutely dominated in the regular season – posting a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts and finishing third in Cy Young voting – and fans adored him instantly.

But everything changed in October.

After pitching in relief to close out the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants, Scherzer complained of “dead arm” before his next scheduled NLCS start. He was scratched, saying he couldn’t physically pitch – leaving the Dodgers without their co-ace when they needed him most. The Dodgers went on to lose the NLCS to the Atlanta Braves, and fans never forgot that their $43 million “rental savior” tapped out when the season was on the line.

Scherzer’s honesty about his arm was fair, but Dodgers fans didn’t see it that way. He had been so dominant that many people assumed he could still grind through it. After all, Clayton Kershaw had famously pitched through injury before, and fans expected the same warrior mentality from Scherzer. When he stepped back, it felt like a player prioritizing self-preservation over team success.

It didn't help that just weeks later, Scherzer bolted for the New York Mets, who signed him to a record-shattering three-year, $130 million deal. He proceeded to make comments suggesting the Dodgers used him too much, subtly blaming their workload decisions for his dead arm. He immediately praised the Mets’ commitment to winning, which came off as a jab at the Dodgers’ handling of his workload and rotation choices.

Dodgers fans haven't forgotten any of this. Years later, they still view Scherzer as the mercenary who bailed on them when the going got tough and then mocked the franchise that revived his career.

It wasn’t just that Scherzer left; it was how he left. Dodgers fans saw a guy who quit on them, blamed them and cashed in somewhere else – and now, they want revenge.

Dodgers fans eager to get revenge on Max Scherzer in 2025 World Series

Four years later, the Baseball Gods have set up poetic symmetry. Scherzer, now with the Blue Jays, is healthy again and lined up to pitch against the Dodgers on baseball's biggest stage. This matchup is dripping with symbolism: the Dodgers' deep, sustainable rotation built around guys who stayed versus that hired gun who walked out on them.

Fans want to see the Dodgers' hitters torch Scherzer to erase the lingering bitterness from his “dead arm” excuse. He's the perfect villain, with everything Los Angeles fans love to hate – arrogant confidence, fiery competitiveness that crosses into smugness and a reminder of what could have been if 2021 had gone differently.

When Scherzer left, it fueled a narrative that the Dodgers mismanage pitchers and don't take care of their arms. If they beat him now, on the World Series stage, it’s poetic justice – proof that the franchise doesn’t need him, and that loyalty, depth and development beat high-priced mercenaries.

If the Dodgers knock around Scherzer in this World Series, it won’t just be another box score. It’ll be emotional closure for a fanbase that’s been waiting four years to exorcise the ghost of 2021.