At Age 39, Justin Verlander Is (Once Again) Looking Like A Cy Young Contender

I don't get it. I just don't get it. I know that some people's bodies are built for the long haul. Some pitchers were made to pitch deep into their careers, but Justin Verlander is approaching Nolan Ryan territory, and when you look at the hardware, you could argue that Justin Verlander, in some ways, has exceeded Nolan Ryan territory. I watched every start of Justin Verlander's career when he was in Detroit, and what's scary about the guy I'm watching right now is that his stuff is just so recognizable. I don't see any difference between this Justin Verlander, who took a no-hitter into the 8th against the first-place Twins last night, and the one who took home the American League MVP in 2011. He might not be thrown 102 MPH in the 9th, but he's making guys look like fools the same way he did a decade ago. O, and he's coming off of Tommy John Surgery with more innings pitched than any other active pitcher.

I know it's early in the season, but what Justin Verlander is doing does not make sense. Justin Verlander's dominance right now goes against everything that is taught to every baseball organization. Pitchers aren't supposed to pick up where they left off following Tommy John at 39. And quite honestly, in terms of innings pitched, Justin Verlander is probably older than 39. When you include the amount of deep postseason runs he has made with both Detroit and Houston, he should probably be pitching like someone older, yet he has more stamina than a 24-year-old. Watching him dominate the Twins last night makes you think that if a team we're going to decide to rebuild and trade this guy, they would get very talented pieces back. I mean, that's the way it's done. If you're going to trade a Hall of Famer, you should build a core around some incoming prospects. I don't want to name names, but some teams seem incapable of doing that. Congrats to Verlander for adding to an already first-ballot Hall of Fame Legacy. It's only May, but I'm telling you, considering how good the pitch data is, this will continue for the rest of the year. He's still golden.