When Jacob deGrom departed for Texas, it was hard to envision the Mets would be able to fill a void that large at the top of their rotation.

However, just two days later, they signed Justin Verlander, and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has looked the part of the co-ace who can help this team win their first World Series in 37 years.

Verlander took the mound for his third start of the spring on Wednesday, and he put together his most dominant start yet. He threw five scoreless innings against the Cardinals, allowing just one hit while striking out eight. In just 71 pitches, Verlander induced 12 swings and misses, including seven on his fastball.

After a Cy Young 2022 campaign, Verlander has showed no signs of slowing down to this point. In 11 1/3 innings this spring, Verlander has allowed just six hits and two runs with 16 strikeouts. He has also not allowed a single walk this spring.

With Verlander and Max Scherzer at the top of the rotation, the Mets appear to be just as dangerous as they were in 2022 when they won 101 games. Verlander was not shy when asked about winning a championship in New York following his outing.

“I’m not afraid to talk about winning a championship,” Verlander said. “I think establishing a culture where you expect to win a championship is important. You should be able to talk about it. That’s what we’re all here for. You don’t shy away from it.”

The future Hall-of-Famer is no stranger to the World Series. In his rookie year in 2006, his Detroit Tigers made it to the World Series only to fall short to the Cardinals team that broke Mets fans’ hearts just prior. Six years later, Verlander and the Tigers made it back. Verlander had just won the Cy Young and MVP the year prior, and he ended up just four points behind David Price in the voting to win a second consecutive Cy Young. Despite being at the top of his game, the Tigers were swept by the San Francisco Giants.

It wasn’t until 2017 that Verlander made it back to the World Series, this time as a member of the Houston Astros. In his time in Houston, the Astros were World Series regulars. They won the American League pennant in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022, and won it all in 2017 and 2022.

Verlander is now a two-time World Series champion, and while another championship will look great on his resume, he isn’t one of those veteran players who is searching for his elusive first championship. Despite having two rings, he knows winning in New York is a different animal.

“I was talking to David Robertson about the Yankees’ World Series win, what the parade was like,” Verlander said. “Obviously in that city, it’s iconic.”

At age 40, Verlander’s time with the Mets most likely won’t be a very long-term partnership as Father Time is still undefeated. Even if his time in New York is just the two years he is currently signed for, he will go down in Mets history if he helps bring a World Series title back to Queens.