Seattle – If you simply look at Justin Verlander’s numbers, it could be 2009 again, or even 2011.
It’s not an exaggeration.
He went into his start Wednesday against the Mariners having allowed two runs or less in his last seven starts.
His strikeout rate of 9.63 per nine innings and his 26.6 strikeout percentage are his highest since 2009. His 11.8 percent swing-and-miss rate is the highest since 2012. Opponents were hitting .211 off him and his WHIP was 1.05 – both lowest since his MVP and Cy Young Award winning year of 2011.