How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?

We're used to paying attention to Cy Young Award announcements around here, because the Nationals have seemed to always have at least one serious contender for the honor each year, most notably the man who won it twice while pitching for Washington.

Tonight, Max Scherzer will find himself in a familiar position, watching along with the rest of us as the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is named around 6:45 p.m. He's seeking to become only the fifth pitcher in history to win the award a fourth time.

We, though, will be watching from an unfamiliar position, distanced from Scherzer now that he's a member of the Dodgers, though still connected because he spent more time this season with the Nats.

What should we make of it if he wins? Will this be another major award for a Nationals legend, or will this be something far less significant to those who care around these parts?

Before we get to that, we should point out Scherzer is no lock to win. In what figures to be an incredibly close race, he joins the Brewers' Corbin Burnes and the Phillies' Zack Wheeler as the top three vote-getters. And truth be told, there's a case for any of the trio to hear his name announced tonight.

Scherzer finished the season 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA, 236 strikeouts and an 0.864 WHIP that led the league. It should be noted that he really made his case during August and September, going a perfect 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 0.820 WHIP in 11 starts for the Dodgers following the trade. If he wins, that's going to be the reason why.

But the other finalists have equally compelling arguments in their favor.

Burnes went 11-5 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA, 234 strikeouts and 0.940 WHIP, all while surrendering only seven homers in 167 innings. The knock on the Milwaukee right-hander: He didn't have as much volume of work as his counterparts, averaging fewer than six innings during his pedestrian 28 starts. That, however, wasn't his fault. The Brewers purposely limited his workload, sometimes using a six-man rotation and rarely letting him pitch into the seventh inning.

Wheeler, meanwhile, wins on volume. The Phillies righty went 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.008 WHIP, but led the league in strikeouts (247) and innings (213 1/3). He also totaled 10 starts in which he went at least seven innings allowing one or fewer runs, tied with Miami's Sandy Alcantara for the NL lead.

So this really could go in any direction. If, however, the spinner does land on Scherzer, it will further cement his status as one of the greatest pitchers in modern history.

Only four others have won at least four Cy Young Awards: Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux (four apiece), Randy Johnson (five) and Roger Clemens (seven). That's a who's who of pitchers over the last 50 years, and Scherzer would rightfully stand alongside them all if he wins.

Scherzer's first Cy Young Award came in 2013 with the Tigers, his next two (in 2016 and 2017) with the Nationals. This one would have to be considered split between the Nats and Dodgers. He made more starts for Washington (19) than Los Angeles (11), but as mentioned earlier, his case really was built on the strength of those dominant two months post-trade.

It should also be noted Scherzer would find himself in very rare company if he wins. The only pitcher ever to win the Cy Young in a season in which he was traded is Rick Sutcliffe, who was an unsightly 4-5 with a 5.15 in 15 starts in 1984 before Cleveland traded him to the Cubs, where he promptly went 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts.

Because Major League Baseball officially doesn't combine stats from the NL and AL, Sutcliffe's Cy Young Award case was built entirely upon on his time with Chicago. In Scherzer's case, his stats with both the Nationals and Dodgers are combined into one grand total. So that adds another unique dimension to his potential win.

So what do we think? If he wins tonight, should we consider this another award by a National? Or is this strictly for the Dodgers?

It's not a clear-cut answer.