Houston Astros: Justin Verlander closing in on new career-high in strikeouts

At the age of 35, Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander continues to have one of his finest seasons to date.

Exactly one year ago, the Detroit Tigers traded Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros just before midnight. The move ultimately provided a big spark for Verlander’s career.

Through five starts with the Astros last September, Verlander went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA and an 0.65 WHIP. He later, of course, helped Houston win its first ever World Series title.

Verlander would later carry his late-season success over to the 2018 campaign. In the first half, he went 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA and an 0.84 WHIP, making his first All-Star team since 2013. He has slowed down a little bit in the second half, but he has also been the victim of a bit of bad luck. Verlander is also still racking up quite a few strikeouts.

On Thursday night, Verlander was the tough-luck loser in a 5-2 loss against the Los Angeles Angels. He went 5.1 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and striking out 11.

The legendary right-hander now leads the American League with 240 strikeouts. Verlander and teammate Gerrit Cole have sort of been going back in forth for the top spot in the league since Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale was placed on the disabled list. Cole currently has 234 strikeouts.

Verlander has led the AL in strikeouts on four separate occasions, including his Cy Young and MVP-award winning campaign of 2011, when he struck out 250. Verlander’s career high in strikeouts, however, is 269, which was set back in the 2009 season.

Through 29 starts this season, Verlander has notched an 11.93 K/9, which would be a new career high. If he makes just five more starts and averages six strikeouts per outing, that would put him right at 270 strikeouts, giving him a new career-high for total strikeouts in a season.

Verlander’s next two starts are scheduled to be against the Minnesota Twins and his former club, the Tigers. Both teams are under .500, with the Tigers already having lost 80 games. Detroit did, however, manage to beat Verlander in Houston back in July.

The Road to 3,000 strikeouts

There are many who believe that Verlander is well on his way to the Hall of Fame already. Getting to 3,000 strikeouts could only bolster his case. He currently has 2,656 Ks.

Of course, accumulating 3,000 strikeouts does not automatically punch someone’s ticket to Cooperstown. However, out of the 16 pitchers who have done it, there are only two who are not in the Hall of Fame: Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling.

Clemens’ Hall of Fame career-caliber has been clouded by the alleged use of PEDs. Schilling is a bit short in a few more traditional categories, such as “only” having 216 wins, and some have wondered if he is being kept out due to some of the controversial statements he has made in the past.

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Still, it appears possible that both pitchers could eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Clemens and Schilling received 57.3 and 51.2 percent of the vote, respectively, in 2018. A player needs 75 percent to get in.

C.C. Sabathia, who currently has 2,966 strikeouts, could very easily be the next pitcher to join the 3,000 strikeout club. If Verlander continues at his current pace, it is possible that he could reach 3,000 strikeouts at some point, likely rather early on, in the 2020 season.

However, Verlander will be a free agent after the 2019 season, so it will be interesting to see where he might be pitching at that point. Verlander originally had an option for the 2020 season, but it was voided upon completion of his trade to Houston.

Just four years ago, many felt that Verlander’s best days were behind him, when he posted a bloated 4.54 ERA through 32 starts for the 2014 Tigers. In the time since, he has clearly reestablished himself as one of the top pitchers in the game, and it should be fun to continue to watch as he adds to his place in baseball immortality, now with the Astros and beyond.