LAKELAND, Fla. –The Tigers are abuzz after Justin Verlander's first spring throwing session Saturday, in which by all accounts he was vintage Verlander, throwing hard and ripping off breaking balls that would buckle any batter's knees.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said it was the best curveball he's seen from Verlander since he faced him as a hitter, which folks figured was 2006. Yes, a long time ago.
Verlander has his prime on his mind, though for now he's leaving the flowery praise to others.
Asked he could possibly reconjure his MVP season of 2011, Verlander had a three-word answer: "Yeah, why not?"
This is a confident man. (As one Tigers person pointed out, you would have to be confident to date Kate Upton, the noted model/starlet). For now, though, it's a quiet confidence.
"I don't need to (talk)," he said. "Everyone else likes to talk."
He hears talk from outsiders, speculation about whether he will ever again be himself. He isn't up for the debate.
"I get it," he said. "People want stuff to talk about."
Verlander doesn't seem put off by the talk. But he isn't about to try to refute it now. He knows the way to do that is to get on the mound and prove he can still be one of the best pitchers in the league.
Nobody should dismiss that possibility.
In any case, it's clear he does not see a repeat of his rough 2014 season, which was very un-Verlander-like. He finished 15-12, thanks in part to what Verlander himself called "the best lineup in baseball." It was a very an unsatisfying 15-12. His 4.54 ERA ranked near the bottom of qualifiers in a pitching dominated league, and was almost exactly one full run higher than his 3.53 career mark.
He said he'll leave the spring repertoire tributes to others but admitted to feeling better and stronger (he's back up to 238 pounds, mostly muscle) this year, which should come as no surprise since he got off to a late spring start last year following surgery to repair his lower core, a much more stressful surgery than he ever let on. Verlander isn't one to discuss injuries, but he did allow, "I think it did have an effect."
Verlander missed only one start last year but he admits now that his shoulder wasn't quite right. His velocity was down, and his pitches were much more hittable.
His doctors say they aren't surprised, as the left core area affects the right shoulder. They waited until after the year to mention that, but when they did, he felt relieved. He finally had an explanation for rare arm trouble.
"I definitely wasn't right," Verlander said.
He is now, and early indications may suggest a return to form.
