Justin Verlander unsure he will enter Hall of Fame as a Tiger: "Boy is that unfair! I have time left on my clock and that is going to determine a lot"
After Justin Verlander posted a league-best ERA of 1.75 over an MLB-high 223 innings on the mound as a 39-year old in 2022, the right-hander was a shoe-in for his third career Cy Young Award in 2022.
Although Verlander was spectacular last season for his team, the Houston Astros, excellence is not an exception, but rather a norm for the 6-foot-5 right-hander.
The 2022 Cy Young Award was the third of Verlander's career. He had one the honor in 2019 as a member of the Astros, with his first such award coming as a member of the Detroit Tigers in 2011.
Despite the fact that Justin Verlander left the team after midway through the 2017 season, many still associate him with the Detroit Tigers. Verlander spent eleven-and-a-half years with the team, winning the 2006 Rookie of the Year Award and leading his team deep into many postseason runs.
BREAKING: The New York Mets and Justin Verlander are in agreement on a two-year, $86 million contract! https://t.co/HP84F5X2jn
"BREAKING: The New York Mets and Justin Verlander are in agreement on a two-year, $86 million contract!" - Baseball Quotes
This past December, Verlander inked a 2-year deal worth $86 million with the New York Mets. The deal tied him with teammate (and fellow Tiger alumni) Scherzer for the most lucrative deal ever signed.
Verlander, who started the season with his new team in the IL, was recently asked about his legacy ahead of a 3-game set for the Mets in Detroit about his former team. In response to a suggestion that he be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Detroit Tiger, Verlander said the following:
"Boy is that unfair! I have time left on my clock and that is going to determine a lot. I know Detroit will always have a special place in my heart and in my career and what that looks like when I retire, I just can't answer that right now,"
Justin Verlander scoffed at the idea that he had reached his zenith with the Tigers. Although he may have played the longest there, he arguably had the biggest impact on the Houston Astros, and his future with the Mets is yet to be decided.
The back of Justin Verlander's jersey supercedes what's on the front
While Justin Verlander has had an immeasurable amount of success for his respective teams, his solo career outshines any squad that he has ever been a part of. While it does indeed remain to be seen what team will be under Verlander's name when he inevitably reaches Cooperstown, we all know he's heading there one day.