May 3, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Giants Future Hall of Fame Starter is Missing Just One Accolade From Historic Career

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Dalton Rice | Last updated May 9, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The San Francisco Giants have stood their ground in the competitive NL West through 38 games, holding a 24-14 record which would have them in first in any other division in baseball. The Giants' 18 wins against teams with a winning percentage above .500 is tied for the league-best (Chicago Cubs) and their +39 run differential is 6th best in all of MLB

San Francisco's rotation of Justin Verlander, Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp have handled the squad's starts to begin the year, while nine other pitchers have made appearances out of the bullpen. The starting rotation has a combined record of 12-10 when they earn decisions, but arguably their biggest name outside of pre-season NL Cy Young contender Logan Webb, has yet to record a victory.

12 different San Francisco Giants pitchers have at least 1 win this year but none of them are named Justin Verlander.
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 7, 2025

Verlander, 42, signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants this offseason after 19 seasons between the Astros, Tigers, and Mets. His 81.0 career WAR, 3451 strikeouts, 3457.2 innings pitched and 262 wins all rank first among active pitchers. However, none of those wins have come in his eight appearances in 2025.

In no-decisions outside of an abbreviated start against Seattle in May:

3/29 @CIN - exited in 5th inning with 2-2 tie
4/9 vs. CIN - Giants win 8-6 after a walk-off HR in the 10th inning
4/20 @LAA - Giants allow four runs in the 9th, lose to Angels on walk-off double
5/1 vs. COL - Giants lose 4-3 after Verlander exits with a 3-2 lead
5/6 @CHC - Giants win 14-5 in 11 innings after Verlander exits with 5-3 lead

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Verlander's eight starts have been solid, allowing three or less earned runs six times, but the win decision has come after the 20-year veteran's outings were over, leaving him with an 0-2 record to this point.

The soon-to-be Hall of Famer has not yet show a vintage version of himself in 2025, but the three-time AL Cy Young winner and 2011 AL MVP has pitched well above the expectation of a 42-year-old, with a 4.50 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 42 innings of work, a much better showing than his 17 starts in Houston last season.

This article first appeared on San Francisco Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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