Justin Verlander never gets much publicity toiling for the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. Verlander is the hardest throwing and most consistent starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Opposing teams schedule their best hitters for off days when Verlander is due to face them.
Since Verlander’s first full season in the majors he has suffered through only one losing season. Since his first full season in 2006, Verlander has been a dominant force on the mound. He won 17 games as a rookie and quickly became the premier fire baller in the American League.
He conjures memories of another great Detroit Tigers pitcher, Denny McLain. McLain won 31 games in 1968 and went down in history for one of the greatest pitching seasons in the modern era of baseball.
Verlander’s 24 win season in 2011 is comparable to McLain’s feat in 68. It is rare in the new era of Major League Baseball to see a starting pitcher over power big league hitters but Verlander’s heat gets better the deeper he goes into a game.
Verlander has won 97 games in just five seasons of action and 61 games in his last three. The value Verlander gives to his Tigers teammates is that of a stopper. A pitcher who the manager Jim Leyland and his teammates can rely on to stop the bleeding of a losing streak or the man who will keep their winning streak alive.
If Verlander does have an Achilles heel it is his penchant for giving up home runs at inopportune times. The positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to Verlander and a few home runs at the wrong time will never lessen his impact on the Detroit Tigers.
