Justin Verlander is coming off another outstanding season and is showing no signs of slowing down, but it would be unrealistic to think he can continue to put together 20-win seasons well into his 40s, wouldn’t it? He doesn’t seem to think so.
Verlander will pitch Game 1 of the ALDS for the Houston Astros against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, and the 36-year-old spoke on Thursday about how much longer he plans to play. He mentioned that he wants to still be pitching when he’s 45, and he did not sound like he was kidding.
Nine more years of Verlander? "I guess I kind of pegged this like 45 number. Whether that's realistic or not, I don't know. I know I'm not going to sell myself short." #Astros
— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith) October 3, 2019
When Astros manager AJ Hinch mentioned something about Verlander pitching for another five years, the right-hander said he wants to double that.
Hinch mentioned to Verlander about pitching the next five years. Verlander said why not 10?
— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith) October 3, 2019
Verlander is one of the most durable pitchers in MLB history. He has made 30 or more starts in 13 of the 14 seasons he has been a full-time starter in the majors, including 34 this year and last year. Verlander is an eight-time All-Star and would be a lock to win the second Cy Young Award of his career this year if not for fellow Astros starter Gerrit Cole, who finished the season 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA. Verlander was 21-5 with a 2.58 ERA, and both are deserving of the honor.
Verlander joined yet another exclusive club with his best outing of the season a month ago, and there’s absolutely no reason for him to think about calling it a career. Whether or not he will be able to pitch until he’s 45 remains to be seen, but he clearly has plenty of good ball left in him.
