Whenever Max Scherzer steps on the mound, it's anyone's guess as to how many strikeouts he will tally by the end of the game. What's a standout performance for some pitchers is just another day at the office for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. Take a look at some of the strikeout milestones Scherzer has reached as a member of the Nationals -- with the possibility of more to come.

20 strikeouts in a single game
Facing the Tigers -- his former team -- on May 11, 2016, Scherzer became the fourth pitcher in Major League history to fan 20 batters in a nine-inning game. The only pitchers to do so before him were Randy Johnson, Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens (twice). Scherzer also joined Johnson as just the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter (two) and 20-strikeout game in their careers. With his performance, Scherzer set the Nationals franchise' record in single-game strikeouts in the 3-2 win.

"Tonight, at the end of the night, was a special night," Scherzer said. "Because, I mean, the strikeouts are sexy. And to be able to punch out 20 -- it's sexy."

98 double-digit strikeout games
Checking the box score, it¡¯s not unusual to see 10 or more strikeouts in Scherzer¡¯s stat line. It¡¯s who he¡¯s passing in the rankings that turns heads even more. On Sept. 13, 2020, in an 8-4 loss to the Braves, Scherzer moved ahead of Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax for fifth place all-time in games with double-digit strikeouts. Scherzer¡¯s 98 games trail Nolan Ryan (215), Johnson (212), Clemens (110) and Pedro Martinez (108).

¡°It¡¯s a really cool feat to be able to say you passed somebody like Sandy Koufax in anything,¡± Scherzer said. ¡°The fact that I was able to do that, that¡¯s awesome.¡±

300 strikeouts in a season
Closing out his 2018 season on Sept. 25, Scherzer recorded his 300th strikeout of the year when he fanned Austin Dean in the seventh inning of a 9-4 win over the Marlins. He joined Curt Schilling, Johnson, Martinez, Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale as the sixth pitcher since 1990 to reach the 300-strikeout mark in a season, and he was the first right-hander to do so since Schilling in ¡®02. Scherzer¡¯s 300 strikeouts stand as the Nationals¡¯ single-season record.

"I wouldn't say it was a goal,¡± Scherzer said. ¡°It was just something as I solidified myself in the big leagues and showed I was able to get to those marks. It was something I dreamed of, reaching this mark, because I know how hard it is to consistently go out there and strike guys out."

2,500th career strikeout
With a slider that caught Manuel Margot looking, Scherzer recorded his 2,500th career strikeout on April 16, 2019, in a 4-3 loss to the Padres. Just 34 other Major League pitchers had reached that mark, and Scherzer needed the third-fewest games (344) to do so. Only Johnson (313) and Ryan (338) did it faster. Scherzer described the achievement as ¡°a cool milestone to reach.¡± He enters the 2021 season with 2,784 strikeouts, second among active players.