Will Justin Verlander represent Astros or Tigers in inevitable Hall of Fame selection?
Though most of his years were spent in a Tigers jersey, Just Verlander has made a solid case to enter Cooperstown as an Astro.
The best things get better with age. Naturally, the first things that come to mind are whiskey and wine. But I would say there is one more candidate riding close behind: great pitching.
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is in the middle of a legendary run as one of the best pitchers of this era.
In 15 seasons, Verlander has put together a resume that many would argue is already worthy of enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was awarded the American League MVP and Cy Young Award in 201, and finished second in Cy Young voting three times. Additionally, he added an American League Championship Series MVP trophy to his collection, along with a World Series championship in 2017.
It’s obvious that Verlander will be inducted into the Hall as soon as he is eligible. The question is, what hat will he be wearing when he is?
When players are inducted into Cooperstown, the committee in charge must select what team’s hat the player will don on their induction plaque. This team is the one that the committee feels the player, “made his most indelible mark,” as former Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson said in a 2009 interview with ESPN.
For many players, the decision is simple. Like MLB “Iron Man” Cal Ripken Jr., who played all 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. So, it’s a no-brainer to induct Ripken wearing an Orioles hat. However, some players such as the ageless wonder Nolan Ryan play for several teams over the course of their careers.
Ryan, for instance, played on four teams over 27 years and dominated the whole way through. While Ryan pitched the majority of his career with the Angels and the Astros, his induction plaque has Ryan donning a Texas Rangers hat, a team he only played with for his final five seasons.
This induction comes despite leading the league in strikeouts in seven of his seasons with the Angels and having three of his six postseason appearances with the Astros. However, the decision to have Ryan wear a Rangers cap comes from him having his 300th win and throwing his record seventh no-hitter. So the precedent has been set to forgo time with a team in favor of accolades and milestones.
That brings us back to Verlander. What hat will he wear? Will he be donning a Tiger hat, where he has played the majority of his career? Or will he wear an Astros cap, where he revitalized his career and earned himself and his club their first ring?
As it currently stands, Houston has a fair shot.
While the bulk of his stats and his only Cy Young happened while he was wearing a Tigers jersey, he has morphed back into a Cy Young candidate as a 36-year-old, and is the ace of one of the most dominant pitching rotations of all time.
Thus far in Verlander’s short time in Houston he has won a championship, an ALCS MVP, thrown for his third career no-hitter, lead the league in strikeouts in 2018 and lead the league in WHIP back to back seasons.
There is no sign of him slowing down, either, both metaphorically and physically; he is still one of the most dominant fastballers in the league. Verlander is also under contract through the next two seasons, allowing more stats to pile up in Houston.
Should Verlander be part of another World Series team and win his second Cy Young, he should be inducted into Cooperstown as an Astro.
He definitely would have made his “most indelible mark” there.
Francis Charbonneau • Sep 2, 2020 at 8:38 pm
The fact that the Astros used sign stealing to beat teams during the regular season in their World Series year forever scars any chance he will go into the HOF as an Astro. He will finish his career as a Detroit Tiger and into the HOF as a Tiger. FLC JR
Liam W. • May 27, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Tigers, all the way.
Yes, he won a world series with the Astros, but he threw 2 no-hitters as a tiger, and 1 as an Astro, and, the astros no-hitter came with A LOT of help from the defense. While the Detroit Tigers no-hitters basically came with a ticket that said, “The Justin Verlander show.”
Another reason that JV should go into the hall of fame, is because of the Astro’s cheating scandal. However, because of the cheating scandal, he could not go into the hall of fame at all. I personally think he should, and while he did win his, and hhis club’s first world series with the Astros, he should go into the national baseball hall of fame as a Detroit Tiger.
Francis Louis Charbonneau Jr • Feb 6, 2020 at 10:32 am
Justin Verlander shall be a Detroit Tiger in Cooperstown. (1.) The Tigers drafted him and he played 14 years in the Olde English D. (2.) The Astros Management has scandalized and destroyed the reputation of the team. Verlander will want to distance himself from the tainted title for which he is not to blame. The Management of the Astros and their horrid scandal in 2017 nixed and canceled any possibility he will would wear the Astros Cap in the HOF.