Two San Francisco Giants Starters Excited About Addition of Justin Verlander

The addition of Justin Verlander has two San Francisco Giants starters excited.
Oct 1, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) smiles in the dugout during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park
Oct 1, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) smiles in the dugout during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Make no mistake about it, Justin Verlander isn't coming to the San Francisco Giants with his eye on playing out his career with a storied franchise.

The future Hall of Famer signed his one-year, $15 million deal with the intent on helping his new team win, something that president of baseball operations Buster Posey is expecting after handing him that contract.

While Verlander is far from the three-time Cy Young-winning version of himself that dominated baseball throughout his career, he is looking to bounce back after a tough season with the Houston Astros that left a sour taste in his mouth.

The Giants were searching for another ace-caliber arm to pair with Logan Webb at the top of their rotation, and after Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it seemed like they were going to land Corbin Burnes.

But, the star right-hander inked a deal with another division rival and left San Francisco looking for another option.

Verlander seems to be who they pivoted to, and even though he likely won't provide the same level of production that either of those two will for their new teams, the 41-year-old is also being brought into this clubhouse for another reason than just pitching; mentorship.

The Giants have tons of young arms in the rotation and organization, so giving them a chance to see how a future Hall of Famer prepares and goes about his business will be invaluable.

Both Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks are excited to have Verlander around, and they look forward to learning from whatever he provides.

"It's going to be awesome. It's crazy to think about because of how long he's been doing it. That's everyone's goal. That's what I want to do one day. That's what I’m sure every pitcher here wants to do one day — be like him, still be pitching at that age. He's a Hall of Famer, and I'm going to be all ears and listening," Harrison said per Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News.

The left-hander was a top prospect for San Francisco after they selected him in the third round of the 2020 draft, peaking at No. 1 overall in 2023 before he debuted that same season.

He's been solid with a 4.47 ERA and 88 ERA+ at this point of his career which has seen him start 31 games, but it's clear there are some things he can work on.

Hopefully Verlander can help him get to that next level and live up to his billing that earned him the top ranking in the Giants' farm system.

As for Hicks, he has plenty of Major League experience, but he's embarking on a new journey as a starting pitcher following his decision to convert from reliever to starter last offseason that saw him achieve some highs before hitting some lows when he surpassed his career-high in innings pitched.

"Anybody that can play even past 10 (seasons) is someone that I'm willing to learn from," Hicks said per delos Santos. "I'm willing to learn from anybody, but JV definitely knows what he's doing up there on the bump. I'm excited to pick his brain."

There's already some rumblings that San Francisco could convert the hard-throwing righty back into a reliever if he doesn't perform well in his starting role this year.

Both players are hoping that having the future Hall of Famer to learn from will help them achieve their goals this season and throughout their careers.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai