Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
May Stats: 4-1 record, 32.6% strikeout rate, 4.7% walk rate, 2.29 ERA, 3.10 SIERA, and 0.8 fWAR in 35.1 innings
This dude just refuses to age. He’s got himself well on a Hall of Fame trajectory at this stage of his career, and his latest streak of dominance with Houston will undoubtedly put an exclamation point at the end whenever he decides to hang them up.
Best ERA+ since 2017 (min. 300 IP):
Max Scherzer • 166 ERA+
Chris Sale • 161
Corey Kluber • 158
Clayton Kershaw • 153
Mike Clevenger • 151
Justin Verlander • 150
Blake Snell • 148— Jim Passon (@PassonJim) May 30, 2019
Verlander is allowing 1.47 homers per nine innings this year. His overall success (8-2 record with a 2.38 ERA in 79.1 innings) is a little more impressive since it also comes with a 40.5% hard-hit rate allowed. That’s not only a huge jump from last year (29.5%), but it’s also a huge deviation from his 27.7% career rate.
The veteran righty has decreased his fastball usage significantly in favor of his three secondary pitches, and the results are eye-opening. His slider is currently producing a -36 wRC+ while his changeup isn’t far behind with a -31 wRC+ against.
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