Three Degrees Of Pat Caputo 5-8-11
Three reasons Justin Verlander was one of the Top 5 starting pitchers in baseball even before throwing a no-hitter Saturday at Toronto.
1. He has the best "stuff." No starting pitcher throws consistently harder with command than Verlander does. He also has solid off-speed pitches.
2. Verlander, even though he is only 28, has more career victories than any active pitcher 29 years old or younger.
3. The Tigers have been roughly a .500 team since 2006 in games that the decision didn't involve Verlander. They are considerably above .500 in that period when Verlander is involved in the decision.
