Verlander: 'Wouldn't be back if I didn't think I could be great'
Justin Verlander has high expectations for himself ahead of his age-42 season with the San Francisco Giants.
"I wouldn't be back if I didn't think I could be great," he said during a press conference Monday, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
"I really truly believe the experiences I had last year and leading into this year, I can be back to the pitcher I was not all that long ago when I won a Cy Young."
Verlander joined the Giants on a one-year, $15-million deal after struggling through an injury-riddled 2024 campaign with the Houston Astros. He started the year on the injured list with a shoulder issue and then missed nearly two months during the season with a neck injury, which he admitted he returned from too soon. The Astros ultimately left the right-hander off their playoff roster after he posted a 5.48 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 17 starts.
As Verlander alluded to, however, he is only two seasons removed from winning the Cy Young Award in 2022. He was less dominant but remained very effective the following year.
Verlander said he still has a passion for the game and plans to pitch until he's 45, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cooperstown awaits after Verlander does hang up his spikes. His Hall of Fame resume includes an MVP, three Cy Young Awards, two ERA titles, nine All-Star appearances, and a pair of World Series rings.
He is MLB's active leader in wins (262), strikeouts (3,416), and innings pitched (3,415 2/3), among many other categories.