On Saturday night, Justin Verlander joined an exclusive club in MLB history by striking out the 3,000th batter of his career.
With his strikeout of Kole Calhoun in the fourth inning, Verlander became one of 18 pitches in league history to strike out 3,000 hitters. Calhoun actually reached first base on the strikeout as the ball was in the dirt.
Verlander, 36, is likely on the Hall of Fame track with a 224-129 record, 3.33 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, and 3.41 FIP for his career.
The right-hander has made the All-Star team eight times in his career, tossed three no-hitters, and has won a Cy Young Award. He could be in line to win another one with the Houston Astros in 2019 as his only true competition for the award at the moment would be his teammate, Gerrit Cole.
It’s more of a matter of when, not if with regards to Justin Verlander having a plaque in Cooperstown.
