Justin Verlander is back to where he once was.
The 39-year-old ace is making the most of his one-year deal with the Houston Astros.
He’s gone 4-1 with a 1.55 ERA in his first six starts and looks like a Cy Young candidate again.
Verlander looks like himself after having sat out two full seasons due to Tommy John surgery.
Last night, he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins.
Astros insider Steve Grande tweeted a list of pitchers who have the most no-hit bids of seven innings or more since the expansion era began in 1961.
Verlander is tied for second with Randy Johnson, having had eight no-hit bids of seven or more innings.
Per @EliasSports, here are the most no-hit bids of 7+ innings in the expansion era (since 1961):
23 Nolan Ryan
8 Randy Johnson
8 Justin Verlander— Steve Grande (@AstrosGrande) May 11, 2022
JV At It Again
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Verlander is going to be a Hall-of-Famer, especially given that he’s in the same company as Nolan Ryan and Johnson, as seen in the tweet above.
Even in his advanced age, this man can flat out pitch and can still dominate on any given night.
He may be 39, but he’s still pitching like he’s in his prime and won’t stop until he decides to hang them up.
He’s thrown multiple no-hitters already, but to have at least gotten that close to one eight times is an unbelievable feat.
The fact that he can do it just a few months shy of his 40th birthday is quite impressive as well.
He’s one of the best pitchers of all time and is no stranger to dominating any opponent on any given night.
He’s going to give you a chance to win every time he takes the ball.
And to be in the same company as two legends just speaks to the competitive spirit that he brings with him every time he pitches.
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