Houston Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander hadn’t thrown a pitch since the summer of 2020, when he hurt his elbow and needed Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery.
He was out for 2020 and also for the entire 2021 campaign, getting ready to return to play at 39 years old.
Tommy John recovery isn’t as dramatic as it used to be, but imagining a 39-year-old pitcher coming back and dominating the way Verlander has was very, very difficult.
Here we are, and Verlander proved that anything is possible with passion, discipline, and hard work.
He is making everyone proud, but most notably his brother Ben.
“What. A. Season. The regular season is complete for Justin Verlander with an outing of 5ip / 0h / 10k. He finishes with a 1.75 ERA. Coming off of TJ and missing two seasons, @JustinVerlander has put together one of the greatest seasons of all time. Wow. #ProudBrother,” Ben Verlander, who works as an analyst for Fox Sports MLB, tweeted.
What. A. Season.
The regular season is complete for Justin Verlander with an outing of 5ip / 0h / 10k
He finishes with a 1.75 ERA.
Coming off of TJ and missing two seasons, @JustinVerlander has put together one of the greatest seasons of all time.
Wow. #ProudBrother
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) October 5, 2022
A Remarkable Season
Verlander had enough gas to throw at least a couple of additional innings, but manager Dusty Baker opted to play things safe and didn’t push him without the need to do so.
All in all, Verlander completed 175 innings in his first season back from surgery, which is amazing.
His 1.75 ERA is the best in the Wild Card era, and he also had a 0.83 WHIP and 185 punchouts.
The Astros lacked a true ace during their postseason run last season that ended in the World Series, so Verlander could very well be the missing piece in the puzzle that can give Baker his first Fall Classic victory.
Could it be possible?
Verlander is ready to take the ball every five days in the playoffs and looks dominating at the moment.
NEXT: Justin Verlander Made History With His Bids At Perfection