The greatest athletes in any sport don't merely establish an elite level of performance; they are able to sustain it for a very long time. Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals has been able to do that, and on Saturday versus the New York Yankees, he notched a milestone which reflects that supreme combination of quality and longevity.

Scherzer put his name in the same breath as three Hall of Famers and one man who — while not in the Hall — certainly performed at an elevated level throughout his career (Roger Clemens). Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez are members of baseball royalty among pitchers from the past 40 years. That's a clear sign of how great Scherzer's career has been. It is worthy of Cooperstown in its own right.

Scherzer not only joined four legends of baseball by notching his 100th game with 10 or more strikeouts on Saturday against the Yankees; he did so in the first four innings. Mad Max had wipeout-level stuff. The only mistake he made in 109 pitches on Saturday was a solo home run allowed to Kyle Higashioka.

Scherzer went 7 1/3 innings against the Yankees, giving up one run — the homer — on just two hits, striking out 14 Bronx Bombers. He was relieved in the eighth by Daniel Hudson, who got out of the inning. The Nationals, fighting to get to the .500 mark, took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

The Nationals have been able to rely on Scherzer for years. It is why the franchise was able to knock the door down in 2019 and win the World Series after numerous playoff failures.

The Nationals have not gotten off to a roaring start in 2021, but it is well worth remembering that their 2019 championship team was 19-31 through 50 games. As a point of comparison, being 13-15 through 28 games in 2021 isn't nearly as problematic for Washington, especially since it can send Scherzer to the mound every fifth day.