Justin Verlander is one of the most successful pitchers of his generation. You’d probably think that when the MLB season was delayed, he would focus on doing what he’s always done with regard to staying in shape and being ready to go.
Instead, the Houston Astros ace said he went into a “full rebuild process” with his pitching mechanics in a bid to prolong his career.
“I changed a lot of stuff that some people would think was unnecessary,” Verlander said, via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. “But I thought it was necessary, especially if I want to play eight, 10 more years.”
Verlander said he came to the realization that he was using his mechanics to compensate for minor injuries. While he could have continued pitching that way, he wants to pitch many more years at a high level, and he felt that required him to essentially start over mechanically.
“It was almost like plugging holes in a roof when it’s raining,” Verlander said. “I would fix one thing and another thing would pop up.”
Verlander said after a simulated game Thursday that he is close to where he wants to be with his new mechanics, but is not entirely there yet.
The reigning Cy Young winner is one of the most driven players in the game, even at the age of 37. He’s always looking to get better and find new competitive advantages. If that means overhauling his mechanics even at this stage of his career, he’s all for it. After all, this is a guy who’s said he’d like to pitch into his mid-40s if his body will let him.
More must-reads: