Justin Verlander’s brother, Ben, is speaking out about his sibling’s tough luck this season.
On social media, Ben, a former minor leaguer with the Tigers, highlighted a recent 13-0 loss to the Phillies where Justin allowed four runs (two earned) over six innings. He expressed that Justin’s performance stats don’t fully capture the reality of this season.
Ben shares, “Yes, I’m biased, but he’s been starting strong despite some of the worst luck I’ve ever seen. Honestly, it’s frustrating to watch. He’s still hitting 97 miles per hour with his off-speed pitches looking sharp.”
This season, the 42-year-old Verlander has struggled, going 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA and notching 67 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched.
When fans responded to Ben’s post sharing a clip of Bryce Harper hitting a home run, he defended Justin, stating, “Today we showcased some of the hardest-hit balls, and one was worth two runs against us. This doesn’t make sense to me. Show me all the bad luck!”
Despite Verlander’s challenges, he faced three defensive errors during his last game, and while he walked none, he did hit seven batters but still had a quality outing.
Ben seems to support his brother, but the statistics paint a different picture. Statcast shows that Justin’s fastball has struggled significantly, ranking among the worst pitches in baseball this year.
The expected batting average against that fastball is .327, with an alarming expected slugging percentage of .623. His curveball isn’t performing well either, recording a run value of -4, as batters are hitting .385 against it.
Verlander’s 1.42 WHIP is the highest it’s been since his rookie season in 2005. Maybe he could use a bit more offensive help, as he’s received only 3.8 runs of support per game.
Last season, while with the Mets, he had a midseason ERA of 3.15 before returning to the Astros. Unfortunately, he wrapped up that season with a 5.48 ERA due to injuries.
As the All-Star break approaches, Verlander is hoping to bounce back during the upcoming stretch of games in the division, with the Giants currently leading the Dodgers.
