Houston Astros: Justin Verlander is among tops on an interesting MLB list

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is pitching one of his best seasons yet, even at 36-years-old. He’s among tops on an interesting MLB list. Look.

The Houston Astros are on the brink of sweeping the Boston Red Sox, the defending champs in what was a blockbuster of a game to watch last night. After a stalemate of scoring through 5.5 innings, it was Carlos Correa at the bottom of the 6th who helped put the Houston Astros on the board.

He was the “pop” the team needed as the scoring was like an accentuated game of chess for the rest of the way. The Houston Astros ended up prevailing 4-3 and this series has demonstrated that despite not having their top starters in Jose Altuve and George Springer, the tremendous depth of this roster has proven that they can still get amazing wins against quality competition.

It’s definitely among the fixings of a championship team where there is always somebody around to step to the plate and help their team win. This depth will bode to be an absolute indestructible weapon come the postseason, to which I expect for this team to be a participant in.

But speaking of championship fixings, there’s a guy named Justin Verlander that’s pitching pretty damn good and he’ll be on the bump this Sunday to try to close this series out with a sweep.

We’re just one start removed from where he pitched an absolute gem against the White Sox May 21 where he struck out 12 batters, allowed just one earned run and one hit. He was flirting with a no-no until the top of the 7th inning where Jose Abreu homered out to center field.

It’s making that record-breaking, two-year, $66 million contract extension that kicks in next season a lot more attractive than the jaw-dropping price tag. Verlander is proving that he can still be productive into his late 30s and it’s comforting to know that our top ace is definitely in the hole of the continuity of greatness.

Nonetheless, Verlander was able to crack tops among an interesting list compiled by MLB.com’s Richard Justice.

Justice compiled a list of nine of the MLB’s most exciting players and Verlander was No. 7 on the list.

Here’s what Justice had to say about J.V.:

"“After he induced 28 swings and misses from the White Sox on Tuesday, Verlander was asked if this is the best he’d ever pitched. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “That’s a pretty big body of work.” Yep, an enormous body of work. Let’s just say his stats in his 15th Major League season — 2.24 ERA, 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings — are as good as this 36-year-old seven-time All-Star has ever posted.”"

And I totally agree with Justice — he’s on an amazing tear and I certainly hope that it continues.

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After all of the hardware that he’s won — including his first World Series trophy in 2017 — he still has the motivation to go out there and still turn heads.

Verlander has been quoted that he wants to be the Tom Brady of baseball, which means that he’d like to pitch well into his 40s and still be able to perform at a high level just like his NFL quarterback counterpart. When you think about it, no other role is more critical that can severely impact the outcome of a game more than a pitcher or QB in their respective realms.

Although his future is uncertain with the Houston Astros after his extension, if he keeps this up, you better believe this team is going to move to offer him another contract.

Next. Astros: Top 30 players in franchise history. dark

And that’s definitely something I’d co-sign to…

Keep it up J.V.!

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