Justin Verlander had a fantastic 2022 season with the Houston Astros. He went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA and 0.829 WHIP, good for a 220 ERA+. Verlander also lead the league in every one of those stats. So it’s easy to understand why he was not only selected to his ninth All-Star team but also won his third Cy Young Award. Winning a World Series ring was the icing on the cake.
Verlander is one of the best pitchers of this generation and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He also does not have a ton of nice-looking autographs out there. And he is nearly impossible to get in person. So, when I had the chance to scoop this card up, I pulled the trigger.