Pitching Style
Verlander throws four pitches: a hard four-seam fastball averaging about 95 mph, a slider in the low-to-mid 80s, a curveball at 78–81, and a circle changeup at 85–88 mph. Verlander tends to throw his slider only to right-handed hitters and his changeup only to left-handed hitters. He frequently uses his curveball with 2 strikes.
Verlander is known for his unusual ability to "add" and "subtract" from his fastball velocity at any point in the game, giving him the ability to throw up to 100 mph even in the late innings of games. This is despite the fact that he has thrown the most pitches in the major leagues since the beginning of the 2008 season. Verlander's average fastball velocity with no strikes is 94.7 mph, while with 2 strikes it is 97.0. His power pitching frequently leads to high strikeout totals. In 2009, 2011 and 2012, he led the majors in strikeouts.
Read more about this topic: Justin Verlander
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