Houston Astros: Top 30 players in franchise history
By T.A. Mock
29. Justin Verlander, P, 2017 – Present
The Justin Verlander trade will go down as one of the most epic in Astros lore and maybe one of the best in all of baseball. Verlander had literal seconds to decide whether or not he was going to approve to the trade and fortunately for him, the Astros, and fans, he approved.
His stretch following the waiver deadline deal on August 31st was simply incredible. He carried the team from good to great, from a contender to the contender. Without him, I’m not sure the Astros win the World Series. Verlander followed up his historic finish to 2017 with a Cy Young worthy 2018.
Blake Snell ultimately won the 2018 Cy Young though Verlander was arguably better and was on the mound more for his team while carrying them to another deep playoff run. His strikeout numbers are his biggest wow factor since joining the Astros, he’s punched out 388 batters in 300 innings of work.
There’s a very good chance Verlander climbs this list after 2019 and potential beyond that if he is extended. He’s shown no sign of slowing down and could be good for another five or so years. The Astros should definitely look to extend him and Gerrit Cole to keep this outstanding duo intact.