Justin Verlander: Astros sign Kate Upton’s hubby to three-year $66-million contract
Yesterday, Major League Baseball announced that the Houston Astros signed right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander to a three-year contract. This contract-extension with Houston begins this season and runs through the 2021 campaign. The 36-year-old righty previously played with the Detroit Tigers, making his major league debut with Detroit in 2005 and going on to wear a Tigers’ uniform for 13 years.
“Justin Verlander is one of the elite pitchers in baseball,” said Astros President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jeff Luhnow. “His late-season arrival in 2017 helped the Astros deliver its first ever championship to the city of Houston. Our fans share in my excitement that Justin will be in an Astros uniform for at least three more years.”
At $33 million per year, the extension makes Verlander the highest-paid pitcher in MLB in terms of annual average value (AAV). The Astros ace would have become a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. ~ Fox Business News
Verlander put together one of the most dominant seasons of his outstanding career last season, finishing second in the Cy Young voting after leading or finishing at the top of the leader boards among American League starters in several significant categories. He led all Major League pitchers in WHIP with an 0.90 clip, which marked the third-lowest number for an AL starter in the last 50 seasons (min. 175 IP).
Additionally, Verlander led the AL in pitching WAR (6.8), strikeouts (290), opponent on-base percentage (.242), strikeout to walk ratio (7.78) and road wins (12-2) and was second in innings pitched (214.0). He also ranked third in ERA (2.52) and opponent batting average (.200).
He enters the 2019 season as the Astros Opening Day starter, which will be his 11th Opening Day assignment, his second consecutive with the Astros. In Major League history, only 14 pitchers have made 11 Opening Day starts, including nine Hall of Famers.
The seven-time All-Star (2007, 2009-13, 2018), 2017 ALCS MVP, 2011 AL Most Valuable Player, 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner and 2006 AL Rookie of the Year has pitched 14 seasons in the Majors with the Tigers (2005-17) and Astros (2017-18) in his illustrious career. He owns a career 204-123 (.624) record with a 3.39 ERA (1039ER/2759IP), with 24 complete games, eight shutouts and 2,706 strikeouts in 419 starts. He enters the 2019 season ranking 23rd all-time in strikeouts, immediately trailing Cy Young (2,798) and Frank Tanana (2,773).
Verlander is one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all-time, having gone 13-7 (.650) with a 3.19 ERA (54ER/152.1IP) and 167 strikeouts in 25 career postseason appearances (24 starts). He ranks fourth in postseason wins and strikeouts all-time in MLB history.
And Verlander’s personal life is just as illustrious as his professional career.
Verlander married model / actress Kate Upton in 2018. The couple has a baby daughter together who came into the world later in 2018. During the off-season, The Verlander / Upton family resides in Lakeland, Florida.
Per a November 4, 2018 Facebook post from Kate Upton …
This year has been the best year of my life! It had a crazy beginning with a World Series win and the BEST wedding weekend, where I got to marry my best friend and love of my life. Now to celebrate our love and our first year of marriage we are preparing to welcome a new addition to our family. I’m so excited to go through this journey of life with you! I love you so much! Happy One Year ❤️ @justinverlander
(Source: MLB)
~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
