by Kenneth Gregory Smith

Created on: June 14, 2010

    Justin Verlander has established himself as one  the top right-handed pitchers in major league baseball. He has played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, and just prior to the 2010 season, signed an 80 million dollar five year contract extention. He possess a blazing fastball to go along with a curve ball, and change-up. He recently added a slider to his repertoire of pitches

     Verlander was born and raised in the Richmond, Virginia suburb of Manakin-Sabot. He was a high school star in his home area and ended up accepting a baseball scholarship to play for the Old Dominion University Monarchs in Norfolk, Va.. He hurled at Old Dominion for three years, establishing records for strikes out in a game, season, and career. He is considered to be of the greatest pitchers ever to play in Old Dominion's league, the Colonial Athletic Association. His performance with the Monarchs enabled him to be the number two player picked in the 2004 draft of high school and college players.

     Verlander quickly worked his way up the professional baseball minor league chain and made his major league debut with the Tigers on July 4, 2005. He became a full-time starting pitcher for Detroit and 2006 and he ended up winning the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year award. On June 12, 2007, Verlander threw a no-hitter, the first ever at the Tiger's new ball park, Comerica Park (it debuted in 2000). He was selected to the American League all-star team in 2007 and 2009. 

     Verlander is vulnerable to giving up big innings to opponents, especially when his off-speed pitches are not working and hitters can pounce on his fast ball. That was the case in 2008, when he had his worst year as a pro, finished that season with an 11-17 record and a 4.84 earned run average.

      However, when he is clicking on all cylinders, Verlander has proven to be one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. He already has 71 major league wins in his short career (as of June 2010). If he can average 15 wins per year for the next 10 years, that would him close to 225 career wins. That might be enough to earn him Hall-0f-Fame consideration. At  the very least, with his 2006 Rookie of the Year prize, his 2007 no-hitter and his two all-star appearances, Justin Verlander has succeeded in establishing his place in Detroit Tiger history.

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