San Francisco Giants' Justin Verlander Continues Dominant Spring, Tosses Another Gem

Justin Verlander, gearing up for his first season with the San Francisco Giants, mowed down the Chicago White Sox in a spring training game Monday.

Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) watches players work out in the bullpen during spring training camp. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Justin Verlander has pitched on far larger stages than Cactus League games in mid-March, but the 42-year-old right-hander still gave it everything he had Monday afternoon.

Verlander, making his fourth start of spring training with the San Francisco Giants, took the mound against the Chicago White Sox. He tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and two walks while racking up six strikeouts.

To cap off his dominant showing, Verlander got All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to chase a 96.5 mile-per-hour fastball for the final out end the fifth inning. He earned a standing ovation from the crowd at Camelback Ranch, tipping his cap on his way back to the dugout.

Verlander now boasts a 1.69 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 16.0 innings pitched this spring.

The Giants signed Verlander to a one-year, $15 million contract back in January to round out their starting rotation.

Verlander is coming off the worst season of his big league career, as he went 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA, 1.384 WHIP and -0.3 WAR with the Houston Astros in 2024. He boasted a 3.26 ERA and 1.128 WHIP through his first eight starts, though, so Verlander was still productive before injuries continued to drag him down.

The future Hall of Famer has made nine All-Star appearances, won three Cy Youngs and claimed two World Series rings, achieving each of those feats as recently as 2022. He leads all active MLB pitchers in WAR, wins and strikeouts.

Verlander won't be starting on Opening Day for the Giants this season, instead ceding those duties to Logan Webb. Regardless, he figures to be a key piece for San Francisco in 2025, and his production this spring suggests he is ready to return to form with his new team.

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