Houston Astros Ace Predicted to Right the Ship in the Playoffs

After a season of struggling, the Houston Astros will need one of their aces to get right in the postseason.

Sep 20, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) motions to the crowd while walking to the dugout after a pitching change in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It's been a different season for the Houston Astros. They haven't been dominant from beginning to end, but they did win the division. They haven't gotten the pitching that they may have expected, but Ronel Blanco and Yusei Kikichu hasve been revelations in an Astros uniform. One pitcher who hasn't given them the production they've wanted is Justin Verlander, who Bleacher Report thinks will bounce back for the postseason.

In his age 41 season, just two years removed from winning the AL Cy Young with Houston, it has been the worst season of Verlander's career. It's been an injury riddled season which has seen two stints on the injured list, causing him to only make 16 starts.

With neck and shoulder injuries so late in his career, it's not shocking that he's struggled. In 84.1 innings, the right hander has a 5.55 ERA, a 7.4 K/9 and 1.399 WHIP. The three time Cy Young winner has had two seasons with an ERA over four, but nothing to this level.

Bleacher Report, though, has predicted that he will find something of his old self in a playoff run.

"If ever there has been a time to believe that sports are scripted, though, it's the possibility of the Detroit Tigers making this incredible run over the past two months, securing the No. 6 seed...and needing to deal with an old friend in either Game 2 or Game 3 of the wild card round," they speculate.

Verlander's postseason career is essentially an entire season of pitching. Between Detroit and Houston, he has thrown 226 postseason innings with 244 strikeouts and a 3.58 ERA. He was extremely important in the 2017 World Series run, pitching in 36.2 innings with a 2.21 ERA.

However, with the way that the rest of the rotation has been performing lately, it's a possibility that Verlander may be pitching out of the bullpen during October. He may end up getting one though, and that's when Bleacher Report expects him to turn the clock back.

"By no means are we anticipating a full-blown October of vintage Verlander. It's not going to be a repeat of 2017 when he made five quality starts in the playoffs for a World Series champion. But there will be a moment, possibly an entire 6+ inning start where Verlander reminds us all of his former greatness," they wrote.

If Verlander could find something of his former self, he would be a very important weapon for the Astros going forward.