Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander had Tommy John surgery in 2020 at the age of 37, missed all of 2021 at the age of 38, and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2022 at the age of 39. As a reward for that performance, he signed a two-year contract with the Mets so he and Max Scherzer can arm wrestle for who gets to call themselves the staff's ace. Including the postseason run, Verlander threw 195 innings last season, and even though he has been a workhorse for his entire career, it is fair to question how many more years he can continue to flirt with 200 innings. He struck out 210 batters with a regular-season ERA of 1.75 and a microscopic WHIP of 0.83. Aside from turning 40 in February, fantasy managers need to be wary of the BABIP of .240, which is 30 points below his career average and due to regress. He will come with a senior citizen discount in drafts, but that could be a heck of a steal if he somehow comes close to a repeat performance.

Justin Verlander strikes out five Astros in Friday’s spring start

Justin Verlander struck out five Astros in three and one-thirds innings in Friday’s split-squad spring training game.

Fantasy Impact

Verlander has been sharp in two starts this spring, with a 2.84 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and eight Ks in six and one-third innings. The future Hall-of-Famer appears healthy and should be ready to start the season strong for his new team. Verlander is currently ranked 9th in FantasyPros ECR among starting pitchers.