Justin Verlander is Really Really Good

Justin Verlander is a stud.

Now that the obvious is out of the way, let's seriously look at Verlander's career for a bit.

When he came up in 2006, we all knew he was special. He won the American Rookie of the Year Award, posting an impressive 17-9 record. He was an integral part in that magical team that made that surprising run all the way to the World Series.

He didn't hit that sophomore slump, posting an 18-6 record with a solid 3.66 ERA in 07. He also threw a no hitter against the Brewers.

08 Was a blip on the radar (11-19) 09 he put up a career best 19 wins, and then last year he put up 18 wins.

He's got the numbers, but what's been missing from Verlander's career? He's never been one of the elite, like a Roy Halladay, a Cliff Lee, a Roger Clemmons back in the day.
*DISCLAIMER* I AM NOT SAYING THAT HE ISN'T OR WASN'T GREAT, all I'm saying is that he never was one of the elite pitchers in baseball. But he's always had the stuff to be a top five pitcher, but he always seemed to be missing that mean streak. When Verlander was on the mound, you expected great things, but it wasn't a lock that he would mow down hitter after hitter.

But this season, we've seen the Verlander we've all been waiting for. He's finally dialed it up a notch and now has joined the ranks of the elite. He's now being talked about as a Cy Young candidate. He's now taking the jump into the elite.

Verlander is 15-5 with a 2.24 ERA, a 0.87 whip, 178 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched. Those are the numbers you expect from a true ace, from an elite pitcher. Teams that want to win and compete for championships need an ace that can put up numbers like that. Every time Verlander takes the mound, you expect to win. It's what all Tiger fans have been waiting for from him.

Verlander has been absolutely dominate lately, including throwing a now hitter through 7 2/3 today against the Angels, out dueling Jered Weaver. He threw his second no hitter of his career against the Blue Jays, and has taken a no hitter into the 8th three times this year. He's been simply amazing this year, and we should expect this for years to come.

Oh, and I am gonna go out and say it, Justin Verlander will win the 2011 Cy Young Award.