Life came full circle a few weeks ago when the Detroit Tigers signed Justin Verlander to a one-year contract. After the signing, Tarik Skubal described what it meant to meet and work with Verlander, whom he idolized growing up, according to a conversation with Ben Verlander.
“There's a saying to never meet your hero. That couldn't be more wrong,” Skubal told Ben Verlander.
Ben's brother Justin started his career with the Tigers, making his debut on July 4, 2005. Nearly 21 years later, Verlander returns to the team that drafted him. He last starred for them in 2017, before they traded him to the Houston Astros. After spending five seasons with them, he signed with the New York Mets, only to be traded back to the Astros.
Verlander's return to the Tigers is sentimental, and also a big deal for Skubal, the two-time AL Cy Young winner. Skubal was ecstatic about Verlander signing with Detroit and could not believe the news when he heard it. He is coming off another fantastic season, where he went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA (the best in the AL). Meanwhile, Verlander went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA for the San Francisco Giants in 29 starts.
Skubal has started Spring Training on a great note, establishing his dominance while being in the presence of the pitcher who shaped his entire baseball outlook. Although Verlander is in the twilight of his career, he can still give the Tigers some innings, and also some vetreran advice to Skubal, who will continue to try to help the Tigers get past the Divisional Round, and into a potential World Series.
