Former Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander has accomplished just about everything there is to accomplish in the great game of baseball. A World Series champion, AL MVP, ALCS MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, an 8-time All Star, and three no hitters are among just a handful of his accolades.
And even at age 37, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be hanging up his cleats any time soon.
While working out during the COVID-19 shutdown of sports, Verlander underwent a total mechanical overhaul, which he called a “full rebuild process”.
“If I was going to say, ‘Hey, I won’t want to play two more years,’ I could probably stay healthy and do that,” Verlander said. “That’s not my goal.”
“I changed a lot of stuff that some people would think was unnecessary. But I thought it was necessary, especially if I want to play eight or 10 more years.”
In March, Verlander had his injured groin repaired, leading to his mechanics change.
“That’s where the light bulb went off after I had surgery, and Dr. Meyer said the tissue had been really beat up and it had been so for a little bit,” Verlander explained. “That’s just one fo those things that the body subconsciously adjusts for……your body just subconsciously knows that stuff and won’t allow you to do it and, thus, why my mechanics had started to change.”
He’s under contract with the Houston Astros through next season, though Verlander has stated he intends to pitch into his mid-40’s.
– – Quotes via Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle
