Twenty-Three Skiddoo: Justin Verlander

[Edgy MD]

I went 18-4 / 1.75 last year, winning my third Cy Young Award. I'd be a Hall-of-Famer if I hung it up tomorrow (heck, if i hung it up yesterday), having won almost three times as many games as Jacob deGrom.



Now I'm a Met, and on any other team, this whole spring training would be about me. But here, last year, they already brought in a big bad Germanic-sounding righthander with three Cy Youngs who originally made his bones in the American League. So I'm kind of just styling here, joining a show that's already opened and gone on tour. Maybe that's healthy for me, or maybe I need to be the center of attention. I don't know, but after sitting out 2021 following ACL surgery, and being as good as ever (better?) in 2022, maybe there's nothing I can't do.



Or maybe not. ZIPs has me down for 3.7 WARs, but WAR prediction can be funny with starting pitchers. We can have a wide range of WAR outcomes, with a bad break or two seperating a 7.5 WAR season from a 1.5. So while 3.7 WARs on the ZIPs scale is the fourth highest average outcome on the team, but there's only one season in 2023, and despite being 40 and having been broken a few times already, I'm as likely as anybody to really dominate.



Or not. What's it gonna be?



[FIMG=321]https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/12/20170238/USATSI_19657062-1024x683.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=429]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/t_2x1/t_w1536/mlb/ltoudweooz7gbhx04zjw.jpg[/FIMG]

[FIMG=232]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fjah73TX0AAsEtf?format=jpg&name=900x900[/FIMG] [FIMG=518]https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/dv_aru5Oh8fzE5DEnpp39Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTM2MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/sny_articles_235/89b7295f7e548f3db572786a9aa3f309[/FIMG]

[Fman99]

I like him to repeat his 2022 numbers because that'd be helpful

[Frayed Knot]

Reportedly hit 96 on the gun in today's (Sat) ST debut, so, y'know, there's that.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm not even used to Scherzer on this team.



17-7, 3.20

[Lefty Specialist]

I think he's going to be babied, because, well, he's 40. So I think he'll be something like 12-6, 3.30 . The important thing is that he's ready for the postseason.

[metirish]

Stay healthy all the rest will take care of itself

[A Boy Named Seo]

I think JV eclipses his innings pitched from last year and leads the team. He'll regress in wins and ERA but still be top stuff. 16-7. 2.74 ERA, 194 IP, 210 Ks.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mets fans will be pissed when Verlander has one of the best pitching seasons in the NL this year but the Mets don't win the World Series. "How could the Mets not win the Series with all the money they're making? They're the best team and in the post-season, the best team is supposed to win every game. Because that's when it counts. And so the best teams are supposed to just will themselves to victory. Because they're the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"



(Ooooooooooooooh. The playoffs. Oooooooooooh. You must be in The Vipers! Are you in the Vipers?)

Oh my god. The Padres took two of three playoff games from the Mets last year. How could that happen? Call the FBI! And Sidney Powell. Release the Kraken! Italian fraud! The Mets won 101 games!



Meanwhile, Jake deGrom pitches like it's 2021. Only without any of the injuries.

[G-Fafif]

Verlander's got his family on board.