"No matter what part of the order... somebody can hit a home run" - Max Scherzer on evolved power hitting making it tough for starters' survival

Over the course of his 16 career in the MLB, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer has seen it all. A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer has been one of the top pitchers of his generation, continuing his dominance into his late 30s. Although injuries have slowed him down in recent years, when he's healthy, he's still one of the best in the game.

While the veteran pitcher has maintained his elite level throughout his career, what makes it more impressive is the fact that he has done so while the game around him has changed.

Max Scherzer has seen many rule changes and styles in which the game is played throughout his career, something that has not gone unnoticed for the eight-time All-Star.

"Story No. 3: Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander sound off on how MLB can save the starting pitcher" - @Ken_Rosenthal

One of the dramatic changes has been the emphasis placed upon and evolution of the home run.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were asked about the future of starting pitching. While Scherzer pointed to many factors involving pitchers, he said that the growth of batters has also contributed to the questions about starting pitching.

“It’s been the evolution of the hitter as well. Now, no matter what part of the order you’re in, you lay in a fastball, somebody can hit a home run," Scherzer explained.

"Go back in time, I don’t think your 9-hole hitter was a home-run hitter," the veteran continued, emphasizing the threat current batters pose to pitchers.

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Max Scherzer expressed his concern about teams not valuing lengthy starts from pitchers

Both Verlander and Scherzer have expressed their concern regarding the future value of starting pitching. Max Scherzer believes that teams are reluctant to allow pitchers to face the opposition's lineup for a third time because of the analytics.

"Those are the kinds of people that should be listened to" @Ken_Rosenthal says @JustinVerlander and @Max_Scherzer , two of the most durable pitchers of their generation, are contributing valuable ideas on MLB's starting pitcher crisis" - @FoulTerritoryTV

The numbers show that pitchers tend to give up more runs when they face a lineup for a third time.

That's something that frustrates Scherzer, as teams tend to take pitchers out of the game even if they are rolling.

"Someone can say because of the probability theory that you’re going to give up more runs the third time through, you’ve got to come out," the Texas Rangers starter continued.