Seven starts into a two-year, $86.7 million deal with the Mets, Justin Verlander knows his 4.85 ERA is a massive underperformance based on his salary.
“I’m not paid the way I’m paid — and I don’t expect — to pitch like that,” Verlander told Newsday’s Tim Healey. “Right now it’s too hard. It’s like having to grind for every out. Nothing is coming easy. Not that anything is ever easy, but when I’m right, it’s a whole hell of a lot easier. I’m not just OK being mediocre or subpar. It’s not in my DNA. I’m going to work harder than anybody on the planet to fix it.”
Through 39 innings, Verlander, who started the season on the IL, has a 1.333 WHIP, which is up 0.504 from a season ago. According to Statcast, his strikeout percentage is down from 27.8 percent to 19.9 percent and his walk percentage jumped from 4.4 to 7.8.
His hard-hit percentage is 43.3 percent (an 8.5 percent increase from last year), his exit velocity allowed is 90.7 mph (a 2.9 mph increase), his expected batting average allowed is .245 (up from .207) and his expected slugging percentage allowed is .419 (up from .331).
The percentage of weak contact-induced has dropped by over half, from 5.2. to 2.5. Solid contact is up to 8.3 percent from 4.9, too.
The struggles have sent the two-time Cy Young Award winner, coming off his second World Series win last year, searching for answers.
“I know when I’m right,” Verlander told Healey. “So it’s like, I know this isn’t right. I know what’s happening isn’t right, so I need to find it. OK, let’s try this, try it, try it, try it, try it, try it, pitch — [expletive]. Try, try, try, try, try — oh, maybe! And then another start later, OK, that wasn’t quite it. Back to the drawing board.”
For Verlander, his fastball (53 percent of pitches thrown this year) and curveball (14.4 percent of pitches) have been hit especially hard. His batting average allowed off the fastball has jumped to .272 from .194 and the slugging percentage jumped to .531 from .285. On his curveball, his batting average allowed jumped to .348 from .158 and his slugging percentage jumped to .609 from .267.
Overall his fastball velocity is down 0.7 mph and his offspeed velocity is down 1.4 mph from last season.
All this has led to Verlander struggling for any consistency beyond inconsistency. He followed his most impressive start to the season – allowing one run on three hits over eight innings against Cleveland – by allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings at Colorado.
In the start after, he was effective against Toronto – one run on five hits with three walks – but it was a laborious six innings of work that needed 117 pitches. In the following start, Verlander’s most recent, he was tagged for five runs (four earned) on seven hits with four walks in an 82-pitch, three-inning outing against Atlanta.
“It’s funny. You go eight innings, throw 115, you feel great,” he told Healey. “Six innings and 115 is a different story. Three innings and 80 is a different story. Every pitch is stressful. Just a massive toll. I need to tone it down a little bit.”
The 40-year-old wonders if he could be “working too hard” and that it may be “taking a toll” and he might need to do a little less. Healey noted Verlander is throwing more between outings because he feels off and that could be taking a toll as he is not recovering enough between starts. But after he doesn’t pitch as well as he thinks he should, he throws more.
“I think I’m trending in the right direction,” Verlander said. “I hope I find it, because I need to not throw so much.”
He will get his chance to bounce back Wednesday at Citi Field against his former teammate in Houston, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. And Verlander, who has had his big moments against the Yankees while pitching for the Astros, is ready for his first action of the Subway Series.
“I got booed coming off the mound in Yankee Stadium because I pitched well and I tipped my cap. That’s New York. That’s fun,” he told Healey. “Baseball needs those rivalries, man. It’s cool. It’s good for the game. Subway Series, center of the universe, two teams going at it. I’m pumped to be a part of it.”
Verlander added: “I know the energy will be great. I’m just trying to pitch a little better.”