One thing Scherzer does have control over is what pitch to throw. Somewhat surprisingly, he doesn't pay a lot of heed to the large amount of PITCH f/x data and batter/pitcher matchup statistics that have become available in recent years. Instead, he attacks hitters the old-fashioned way, by following the scouting reports developed by the Tigers scouting department and pitching coach Rick Knapp.

"You have to take things contextually, because each hitter is different and might match up differently against my pitches than against other pitcher's pitches," Scherzer said. "I really believe you have to pitch hitter to hitter, depending on the situation. It's all about the scouting reports and the execution of those scouting reports. Once you start getting a good portion of the season in, then some of those numbers come into play. Right now, they have no meaning because of the sample size, and while they may eventually tell you something about the hitter later in the season, ultimately the scouting reports are the best source of information, in my opinion."

John Perrotto, Scherzer's WARP Drive, Baseball Prospectus, 5/9/11.