Max Scherzer aiming to carry no-hit success into 2016

Just over a year ago, Max Scherzer arrived in the nation's capital with a ton of fanfare and a monumental contract. The former American League Cy Young Award winner then backed it up, becoming just the sixth pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a season.

If not for a bizarre blip in Scherzer's season during August, the dominant right-hander might have found himself with a matching Cy Young Award for the National League. Scherzer shut down the Brewers, Pirates and Phillies during a three-game stretch in June where he hurled 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. The incredible stretch began with a 16-strikeout one-hit shutout in Milwaukee and was followed by a no-hitter - a near perfect game - over Pittsburgh at Nationals Park.

In his penultimate start of the season, Scherzer had another no-hit bid broken up in the eighth inning against the Reds at Nationals Park. And then he finished off the year with a 17-strikeout no-hitter over the Mets at Citi Field.

"When I kind of reflect about it, I sat there and thought actually the games before both no-hitters were actually some of the better pitched games that I did, with the Milwaukee start and then the Cincinnati start," Scherzer said. "That's something that I kind of took a piece of how I felt in those starts and I was able to go out there and have success consecutively. That's stuff that you want to try to bottle up and figure out how you do that and try to carry over and be even more consistent in 2016.

"Having that Mets one be the last start of the season, even though we had a disappointing season, was a way to be able to end the year on a good note and really gave a positive feedback for what you want to do going into to 2016. I can't sit there and say that there is one moment inside those games that I cherish the most. I think it's just the ability to go out there and have those type of games and have your teammates behind your back and playing as hard as they can and doing it all as one."

Scherzer went 14-12 with 2.79 ERA in 2015. His four complete games and three shutouts were most in the majors, while his 276 strikeouts ranked second.

With the Nationals missing the postseason, Scherzer had the opportunity to do some television, working as a studio analyst during FOX's coverage of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

"It was fun," Scherzer said after gaining a new perspective on the media. "There are production meetings. So I see what you guys are always up to and why you're always pressing us and squeezing us for every last detail because you guys really take any little thing we say and run with it 10,000 miles."