2014 became one of the worst seasons of Justin Verlander’s career, his ninth complete season in the major leagues.
It began with surgery on his abdominal muscles, the affects of which lingered throughout the year and forced him to alter his mechanics, resulting in shoulder problems. It was the shortest beginning of his career, after which he feared that his career was ended. And it concluded with a 4.54 ERA, his 104 earned runs allowed being the most of any American League pitcher.
It also helped plant the seeds for the remainder of his career, which will continue in Queens for at least the next two seasons after the Mets signed Verlander to a two-year, $86.6 million contract with a third-year, $35 million option on Monday.
Investing so much money in a pitcher who will turn 40 in February has inherent dangers, but Verlander utilized one of the lowest times of his career to circumvent them. According to those who have worked closely with him, he began to take better care of and become more in tune with his body after a difficult 2014 season with the Tigers. His awareness of his body is unparalleled.
After his difficult 2014 campaign with the Tigers, Justin Verlander began to take better care of his body and become more in tune with it.
AP
Annie Gow, a physical therapist who began working with Verlander after the 2014 season, stated, “There is no silver bullet.” “He didn’t inherit an extraordinary talent; he worked hard for it. Everything he possesses is the result of his hard work. But I believe he realized he needed to take care of himself throughout the offseason. Develop your strength and your mobility.
“He recently altered his personality.”
In the same offseason, Verlander began training with pitching instructor Ron Wolforth, who assisted him in restoring his mechanics, which had been thrown off by compensating for his core muscle surgery.
Justin Verlander Getty Images
Wolforth referred to Verlander as a “kinesthetic genius” due to his exceptional body awareness. However, this movement pattern deviated in 2014, and as a result, Verlander labored in addition to enduring shoulder pain and a stunning fall in velocity. Later, he told MLB.com that a one-inning start in August that year in Pittsburgh caused him to fear that his career was gone.
“His arm was dangling,” remarked Wolforth. “Because of the injury, it was slightly out of sequence. He tried a different organization, but it became extremely sluggish, put more stress on his anterior shoulder and medial elbow, and for the first time in his career, severely hindered his rehabilitation.
Wolforth assisted Verlander in regaining his 2011 Cy Young and MVP-winning form by analyzing footage of his previous seasons and providing him with advice and equipment (including a connection ball, which fits between his forearm and bicep to help align his arm correctly) to get him back in sync.
Then, with the assistance of his then-girlfriend, now-wife Kate Upton, Verlander discovered a personal trainer in the Los Angeles region, Peter Park, who specialized in enhancing his mobility, core work, and fitness.
When Park first began working with Verlander, he observed an athlete who “wasn’t put together very well after playing for so many years.”
Park stated, “He’ll probably kill me for telling you this, but I was startled – I’ve had junior high students with higher upper-body strength than him in the gym.” “His legs have always been robust. But it was absurd how quickly he became powerful once he began doing the proper things. Because his work ethic is so admirable.”
Park’s initial evaluation of Verlander was comparable to that of Gow, the New York City physical therapist who observed a 31-year-old with a “dysfunctional system” that “was not functioning optimally.”
Initially, Verlander desired to instruct Gow, but she informed him that she does not operate in this manner. She desired to focus on his entire body rather than just his shoulder. Gow described Verlander’s feet as “cement blocks” that manifested in his hips and shoulders.
Kate Upton, Justin Verlander’s wife, assisted him in finding Peter Park, a Los Angeles-area personal trainer who specialized in enhancing his mobility, core work, and fitness.
“Essentially, we disassembled and reassembled him,” Gow said with a chuckle.
Verlander was not interested in receiving the opinion of the three specialists, accepting it at face value, and moving on. He wanted to know why they proposed the exercises or regiments they performed and how it would improve him, providing continual feedback throughout. However, after he realized how much better he felt, he agreed.
Wolforth stated, “I would think that Justin Verlander is highly skeptical.” “He lacks cynicism. He is quite skeptical. I believe it is one of the reasons he is so good.”
As for the outcomes of his off-field work on the field? Since then, Verlander has pitched better each year, bucking the normal aging curve. In 2016 and 2018, he finished second in Cy Young voting before winning the award for a second time in 2019.
Then, in 2022, after pitching only six innings between 2020 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, Verlander arguably had the finest season of his career. At age 39, he posted a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings, becoming the fourth-oldest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.
“I just believe [the Tommy John surgery] rebooted him,” said Park. Now, he is almost embarking on a second voyage, comparable to version 2.0.
Along the way, Verlander has surrounded himself with a squad that has contributed significantly to his success and longevity. He is able to text, contact, or FaceTime Gow, Wolforth, and Park when concerns arise during the season or offseason. When he requires an additional pair of eyes or ears, they are eager to assist him.
The Mets hope to profit for at least the next two seasons from the work Verlander has put into properly prepping his body for the 162-game (and more) grind, which has allowed him to continue throwing at an exceptional level regardless of his age.
“Of course, Father Time will eventually catch up,” Park added. “You cannot be 70 years old and throw 98 mph. It’s bound to come up with him eventually, but he’s similar to Tom Brady in baseball. He merely finds a way to [continue] in some way.
“He is simply always learning about himself. He simply leaves no stone untouched.”
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