Monday, September 2, 2019

Newsletter Excerpt, September 2, 2019 -- "Justin Verlander"

This is a preview of the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter, an e-mail newsletter about all things baseball, featuring analysis and opinion about the game on and off the field from the perspective of the informed outsider. Joe Sheehan is a founding member of Baseball Prospectus and a contributor to Sports Illustrated and Baseball America. He has been writing about baseball for nearly 25 years.

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"Verlander’s ability to weather career crises and continue pitching at a high level is a big part of his story. He reached the majors one month before Felix Hernandez did, and I basically wrote Hernandez’s career eulogy last week. In 2006, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award. Across both leagues, nine pitchers got Rookie of the Year votes in 2006; only Anibal Sanchez is still in the majors.

"While starting his career in 2005, Verlander is fifth in the 21st century in innings, and will be third by the end of the season. He’s second in strikeouts and will be first come early 2020. In 2007, when he was 24 years old, his four-seam fastball velocity was 95.0 mph. This year, at 36, it’s 94.9 mph. You don’t want to see the comparison to King Felix."