HOUSTON Astros star Justin Verlander has the world at his feet.
Away from the Astros bullpen, Verlander, 39, is married to actress and model Kate Upton.
A former Sports Illustrated model, 30-year-old Kate was on the cover of their 2012, 2013, and 2017 issues.
She’s since gone on to carve out a career in Hollywood, starring in films including The Layover, Tower Heist and The Other Woman.
The daughter of a Texas state tennis champion and a high school athletics director, Kate has plenty of sporting pedigree.
While her grandfather was co-founder of appliance manufacturer and marketer Whirlpool Corporation.
TheRichest estimate that if you combine Upton’s personal fortune with her husband’s vast wealth, she is worth around $280m in total.
The power couple have baseball to thank for their chance meeting in February 2012, when Upton and Verlander were both filming a 2K video game commercial.
It took them nearly a year to go public, announcing their relationship to the world in early 2013.
Despite a brief split, romance blossomed again and by early 2014 the pair – who share a nine-year age gap – were back together for good.
Jason popped the question just two years later and a delighted Kate could barely contain her glee after showing off her giant diamond ring at the 2016 Met Gala.
She said: “I’m really excited, he asked me right before the season started so we’ve been keeping it on the down low for quite a while.
“So I’m excited to finally be able to share it with the world!”
Verlander bagged his first World Series crown in November 2017 and wasted no time in whisking Upton away to tie the knot.
‘HE’S MY BEST FRIEND’
The pair were married in a medieval church overlooking the Montalcino valley in Italy later that month.
When asked about the secret of their happy relationship, Upton put everything down to communication.
She told E!: “For us, we always try and work on our communication.
“We’re very open with one another and we’re each others best friends.
“He’s definitely my best friend, so I think that helps a lot.”
While Verlander added: “Kate’s there a lot for me.
“And we’re just normal people. You know, a normal relationship – believe it or not!”
The pair have one daughter together, Genevieve, whom they welcomed into the world in late 2018.
Verlander and Upton hit the red carpet with their toddler for the MLB All-Star game earlier this summer.
While they recently sold their stunning Beverly Hills residence to actor Timothée Chalamet for $11m.
The veteran starting pitcher is going for World Series dominance as the Astros face off with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Verlander is a nine-time MLB All-Star and was a World Series champion with Houston in 2017.
Since joining the Astros five years ago, the Virginia native has cemented his legacy as one of the finest starters of all time.
There are few better on the mound than Verlander when on song and he rakes in an annual salary of $26 million.
Despite his success at the Astros, Verlander is still waiting for his first ever World Series win.
He will get the chance when he starts Game 5 of the series in Philly on November 3.
Verlander’s Astros contract is up at the end of the current season and with just two games remaining on the series, it could be his final one in a Houston uniform.