Scherzer on his Cy Young, pitching in WBC and Rizzo's trades

When last we saw Max Scherzer, he was on a boat in the British Virgin Islands, watching the National League Cy Young Award announcement on his iPad, doused with champagne by friends upon learning he had won the hardware.

It was truly a unique way to celebrate such an occasion, and it made for a wonderful visual for anyone watching from the boring comforts of a living room on dry land.

For Scherzer, it was a remarkable experience, one he'll never forget. In the month that has passed since, though, he perhaps has begun to fully appreciate just what he did. He's only the 18th pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, only the sixth to win it in both leagues.

"There's some history to that," Scherzer said this weekend at Nats Winterfest. "I appreciate the history of the game and all the greats and what they've been able to accomplish. That really means something to me, to be able to be among those. Sometimes you pinch yourself, like, 'How the heck did you get here?' It just shows you that when you're on good teams and you have guys behind you, supporting you, you can accomplish great things."

Scherzer has made a point throughout to credit his Nationals teammates for helping make his major award victory possible. And he's far more interested in contributing to the team's eventual success than any individual accolades he receives, which is why his final start of the season still burns in his mind.

Scherzer pitched more than well enough to lead the Nationals to victory in Game 5 of the National League Division Series - he allowed only Joc Pederson's solo homer in the top of the seventh - but was left to watch as the Dodgers eked out a 4-3 victory that left the sellout crowd on South Capitol Street in agony.

"That was a tough series to lose," said Scherzer, who admitted he could only watch a handful of games for the rest of the postseason. "Honestly, that was one of the toughest of my career. Because of the fact of how crazy Nats Park was, how awesome the fans were, just how intense that series was and the effort I thought our team gave. Our team gave as good an effort as I've been a part of, and really could've competed with anybody. That's the gut punch in all this. We put that on the line and didn't win."

Given his stature on the roster and long-term commitment to the organization, Scherzer has been particularly intrigued by general manager Mike Rizzo's maneuvers so far this winter. He admittedly was disappointed to see young pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez be dealt in last week's trade for outfielder Adam Eaton, but he also appreciates what that means about Rizzo's intentions for 2017.

"You'd rather be on this side," Scherzer said. "We're trying to win. And you want to be a part of organizations that are trying to win, and win at all costs. I feel like that's what we're trying to do, trying to make acquisitions that put us over the hump. So I'm excited. That's why I'm here."

The Nationals are Scherzer's top priority, but in March, he'll leave the club and prioritize a different team for a couple of weeks: Team USA. Invited by Jim Leyland, who managed him with the Tigers, to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, Scherzer jumped at the opportunity to wear the red, white and blue.

"I have so much respect for Jim Leyland," the right-hander said, "that when he asks me to play, you don't say no."

Scherzer doesn't know exactly yet how he'll need to adjust his preparation for the 2017 season as a result of the WBC, but he doesn't expect it change much.

More than anything, he's looking forward to the intense competition and playoff-like scene of the international tournament.

"I've seen different games and videos where the fans are going crazy, especially for the Latin American countries," he said. "It seems like those fans are crazy out there. Seems like an environment that I want to pitch in."