One would think that after missing two full seasons as a result of having Tommy John surgery on his elbow that former Cy Young and MVP Award winner Justin Verlander would be a little rusty.
If you thought that, you were wrong.
Verlander is back and is pitching like an ace yet again.
Nearly two years off clearly didn’t affect him in the slightest.
The Houston Astros ace has set the precedent for all starting pitchers in 2022.
At 39, he’s still pitching like he’s in his prime.
And yesterday, he became the first pitcher in all of baseball to reach 10 wins on the season.
MLB tweeted a graphic celebrating Verlander’s accomplishment.
JV Is Back
Even at 39, Verlander is still an ace and does not stop dominating.
He may have had to take a few years off after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but that didn’t stop him from grinding it out and working his way back.
His drive and desire to be great is comparable to only a few in baseball today.
This is the kind of pitcher Verlander is and always has been.
He can blow you away with his fastball, but his breaking pitches are also fantastic.
He still has what it takes to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
Heck, he was the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2019 before suffering his elbow injury.
He’s won that Cy Young Award twice and even was an MVP in 2011.
He’s still fully capable of putting together a season in which he contends for a Cy Young, and he’s doing it this year.
Some may have forgotten, but Verlander is still just as impressive as he’s always been.
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