Verlander Focused, Eyeing Another Big Season
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - In 2006, Justin Verlander helped Detroit reach the World Series in his first full season as a major leaguer.
The Tigers haven't made the playoffs since.
"It seemed pretty easy at that point," Verlander said. "Obviously, it's not, but once you taste it, you've got that will and drive to get back there, and we've got all the pieces in place this year."
Verlander has been one of baseball's most consistent pitchers, winning at least 17 games four times already in his young career. Last season, his ERA was a career-best 3.37, and in 2009, he finished third in the American League Cy Young voting.
The main blemish on his resume is a penchant for slow starts, so the 6-foot-5 right-hander is approaching spring training with noticeable intensity.
"Focusing more on what I need to do to get myself in midseason form as early as possible," he said. "That's my goal - from my bullpen sessions ... until the end of spring training."
Verlander has a career ERA of 5.02 in April, a fairly minor quibble in what has been an impressive run with the Tigers. But Detroit - which opens the season with a road series against the New York Yankees - is hoping for a good start. After adding players like Victor Martinez, Joaquin Benoit and Brad Penny in the offseason, the Tigers are expecting to contend for the AL Central title, which would be their first division crown since winning the East in 1987.
Detroit was a wild card in 2006 before dispatching the Yankees and Oakland Athletics en route to the AL pennant. The Tigers lost to St. Louis in the World Series.
Although opening day is still six weeks away, manager Jim Leyland likes what he sees from Verlander so far.
"You can't work any harder physically than he worked the last several years. I think it's something that he wants to do mentally, and I think he's way ahead of the curve. He's got it figured out," Leyland said Tuesday. "I watched him today, and he was just totally locked in."
Verlander was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and threw a no-hitter in 2007. He struck out a career-high 269 two years ago.
"He's definitely one of the best pitchers in baseball - in my mind, a Cy Young candidate every year," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said.
Nobody doubts Verlander's talent, and he doesn't plan any major changes this spring.
"I'm throwing most of my pitches ... and I'm pretty happy with where they're at right now," he said. "Obviously, I'll continue to move forward with them, but my fastball control has been pretty good, and I'm just getting a feel for my other stuff right now, but it's coming along."
This year, Verlander's mental focus is a priority. Although it's important for his arm to be in good shape when the season starts, that's not the only purpose of these early workouts.
"A lot of pitchers just think that it's to build your arm strength up and physically get ready for the season, but there's more to it than that," Leyland said. "There has to be concentration on working to get the ball down."
Last season, Verlander allowed 17 earned runs in his first four starts - then only five over his next five. Once he found a groove, there weren't many better pitchers around.
Now, he's trying to find that groove a bit earlier - a prospect that has the Tigers pretty excited.
"It's not so much throwing hard or stuff like that, it's more of a mentality," Avila said. "Even though these are spring training games, almost treating them more like regular season games - which can make a difference."
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