The Mets are handing Max Scherzer the ball for their Opening Day matchup against the Miami Marlins. A couple of days later, one of New York’s biggest offseason acquisitions, Justin Verlander, will follow suit.
With these two taking the hill every five days, a unique — and friendly, we’ll assume — competition will officially begin. But don’t worry, it won’t be as painful as the one between Mark Canha and Tim Locastro.
These veteran hurlers enter 2023 with nearly the exact same number of strikeouts. Verlander checks in with 3,198, which ranks 12th all-time.