Two seasons in, Scherzer living up to mammoth contract

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Max Scherzer, whose dominant second half may have been enough to earn the Cy Young Award.

PLAYER REVIEW: MAX SCHERZER

Age on opening day 2017: 32

How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2015

MLB service time: 8 years, 79 days

2016 salary: $15 million

Contract status: Signed for $15 million in 2017-18, $35 million in 2019-21. Receives $15 million annual signing bonus in 2019-21. Salaries in 2019-21 are deferred, with Nationals paying $15 million annually from 2022-28.

2016 stats: 20-7, 2.96 ERA, 34 GS, 1 CG, 228.1 IP, 165 H, 77 R, 75 ER, 31 HR, 56 BB, 284 SO, 6 HBP, 0.968 WHIP, 6.2 WAR

Quotable: "It's unbelievable. And honestly, it's such a team accomplishment. These guys absolutely supported me the whole year, playing defense, going out there and scoring runs, and our bullpen coming in and shutting the door. I don't win 20 without the rest of these guys in the clubhouse." - Max Scherzer, after winning his 20th game on the final day of the regular season

2016 analysis: Expectations were sky-high for Max Scherzer in his second season in Washington, but the right-hander didn't exactly belong in rarified air based on his performance through the first couple of months. After seven starts, he owned a 4.60 ERA and had surrendered nine homers in only 43 innings.

Slowly but surely, Scherzer put things together. He got over that bout of longball-itis that plagued him not only early this year but late in 2015, as well; after giving up 20 homers in his first 16 starts, he gave up just 11 homers in his last 18 starts.

Meanwhile, Scherzer was blowing away opposing hitters with unhittable stuff. He became only the fourth pitcher in major league history to record 20 strikeouts in nine innings when he dominated the Tigers on May 11. He reached double-digits in strikeouts in five of his six starts in June. And he gave the Nationals innings when they most needed them. Scherzer led the majors with 18 starts in which he went at least seven innings while allowing no more than two earned runs.

By season's end, Scherzer had the kind of stats that often win Cy Young Awards: 20 wins, a sub-3.00 ERA, the league lead in innings pitched, strikeouts and WHIP. In fact, he became the first pitcher to lead the National League in wins, innings, strikeouts and WHIP since Sandy Koufax in 1965.

2017 outlook: There may come a day when the Nationals' decision to give Scherzer such a hefty contract over so many years comes back to haunt the organization. But right now, nobody can complain about what the team has gotten for its money so far.

In addition to his obvious pitching talents, Scherzer also takes exceptionally good care of his body (helping decrease the risk of injury) and is as driven as anybody to accept nothing less than perfection. So don't worry about his motivation in 2017, even if he hauls in the second Cy Young Award of his career.

The lone bugaboo with Scherzer, of course, is that pesky penchant for giving up home runs. He got much, much better at avoiding those devastating blows during the second half of the season. But this is going to remain the biggest thing to watch with him moving forward, something that's forever in the back of your mind when you watch him pitch in a close ballgame.