TORONTO — Some farewells require no press conference, no microphone, and no grand stage. Sometimes, a simple drawing made with a child’s innocent strokes is enough to leave an entire city spellbound. As Max Scherzer’s future in Major League Baseball hangs in the balance, the sight of his young daughter expressing her love for Toronto has become one of the most touching stories surrounding the Blue Jays. For the Scherzer family, Toronto has long ceased to be merely the place where Max plays. It is a place where their children have grown up—filled with memories of the ballpark, the CN Tower, days spent with their dad, and a city they have truly called home.
A season concludes, a new chapter begins
On September 27, the Rogers Centre witnessed one of the most special moments of the 2026 season.
Max Scherzer took the mound for the Blue Jays’ final game against the Cincinnati Reds. Although his future remained undecided, everyone understood that this could very well be the last time “Mad Max” donned the Toronto uniform in a Major League game.
A crowd of 42,131 filled the Rogers Centre.
They hadn’t come just to watch a baseball game.
They had come to say thank you.
Scherzer pitched seven-plus innings, allowing just one earned run, six hits, and one walk, while striking out seven batters in the Blue Jays’ 5-1 victory. He threw 114 pitches and secured the 225th win of his career. As he walked off the mound, Scherzer received a prolonged standing ovation from the crowd. Afterward, he headed up to the stands.
His family was there.
His wife, Erica.
His children, who had watched their father spend nearly two decades on Major League Baseball mounds.
And there was a version of Toronto that the Scherzer family had come to love in their own special way.
The young daughter who touched the hearts of the Blue Jays
What makes this story unique is that it didn’t begin the day Scherzer took the mound for that final game of the season.
It started months earlier, when his daughter, Brooke, moved the Blue Jays community with a letter she sent to the team.
After Toronto lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Brooke wrote to the Blue Jays with a single wish: that the team would bring her dad back.
In the letter, she apologized to the Blue Jays for their World Series loss, wished them victory next time, and expressed her hope that her dad would return. More importantly, Brooke wrote about how much her family loved being in Toronto with her father, mentioning her favorite spots—like the aquarium, the CN Tower, and, of course, the stadium.
These weren’t the words of a superstar.
It wasn’t a message crafted by a PR team.
It was simply the heartfelt sentiment of a young girl for the city where her family had made such wonderful memories.
And that is exactly what made it so special.
Now, Toronto appears in a drawing
According to the story currently being shared by fans, Scherzer’s daughter has once again expressed her love for Toronto through a charming drawing of the city, accompanied by a message that serves as an emotional farewell—just in case the family has to leave Canada now that Max’s career chapter is coming to a close. The image of Toronto through a child’s eyes doesn’t need massive statistics or Cy Young awards to be special.
It might be the city skyline.
The CN Tower.
The Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays’ signature blue.
And somewhere in that picture lies the memory of a father who would regularly leave home to take the mound, only to return to his family after every game.
The simple message accompanying the drawing makes the story even more touching:
“We love this city…”
Just a short sentence.
But behind it lies a whole journey.
Toronto once won Scherzer over through his own children.
Interestingly, Brooke had essentially become a special “ambassador” for Toronto even before the 2026 season began.
After the Blue Jays brought Scherzer back on a one-year contract, Erica Scherzer shared a letter Brooke had written earlier. At the time, MLB dubbed the players’ daughters a special “recruiting group” for the Blue Jays.
Brooke had written to the team, expressing her wish for the family to continue living in Toronto with her dad.
And then, her wish came true.
Scherzer returned.
The family returned.
Another season began.
Yet, no one knew that just months later, Toronto would once again face a moment where they might have to say goodbye.
Scherzer hasn’t announced his retirement.
This is a crucial detail.
As of now, Scherzer has not officially announced his retirement.
At 42, the veteran right-hander says he will wait until the offseason to decide whether or not to return to the game in 2027. Scherzer said he had spoken with those close to him and felt relatively healthy, so there was no need to make an immediate decision.
That means the door remains open.
Scherzer might return.
He might choose to retire.
Toronto might continue to be part of the final chapter of his career.
But whatever the final decision, one thing has become very clear: the Scherzer family has left a special mark on this city.
A hug in the stands says it all.
After leaving the mound during the game against the Reds, Scherzer didn’t head straight to the clubhouse.
He walked toward the stands.
He sought out his family.
And that moment was perhaps more meaningful than any farewell speech.
The man who has pitched in Detroit, Washington, Los Angeles, New York, and many other cities throughout his illustrious career now stood in Toronto with his wife and children.
A pitcher with three Cy Young Awards, two World Series titles, and thousands of strikeouts has experienced countless big moments in his career.
But at the end of an emotional season, his choice was to find his family.
And it is those children who might remember Toronto the longest.
If this is a farewell, Toronto won’t forget.
Scherzer wrapped up the season with his 225th career win and brought his total career strikeouts to 3,557—just three shy of Justin Verlander on the all-time list.
But those numbers might not be what Brooke remembers most.
Perhaps she’ll remember the aquarium.
Remember the CN Tower.
Remember the days at the Rogers Centre.
Remember the Blue Jays’ blue.
Remember the sight of her dad stepping onto the mound.
And remember the feeling of the whole family living in a city she once wrote that she loved.
That is what makes Max Scherzer’s story so special. A Hall of Fame career can be measured by Cy Young Awards, World Series titles, wins, and strikeouts.
But a city loved by a child cannot be measured by those numbers.
If Scherzer were to truly call it a career one day, Toronto would be just one of many stops for “Mad Max.”
But for his family, Toronto will likely never be merely a dot on the map.
It is the place where his children made memories with their dad.
It is the place where a little girl once wrote a letter asking the team to keep her father.
It is the place where 42,131 people rose to applaud as the 42-year-old man walked off the mound.
And if that scene in Toronto truly marks a farewell, it is not a sad one.
It feels more like a thank-you.
Thank you, Toronto, for being part of our childhood.
Thank you, Blue Jays, for giving us a place to call home.
And perhaps that is the most beautiful legacy Max Scherzer could leave in Toronto—not just strikeouts, wins, or big games, but the memory of a family that truly loved this city.