Detroit Tigers 2016 Review: Justin Verlander

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander returned to ace form during the 2016 campaign. He could very well end up winning a second Cy Young award. Here’s a review of Verlander’s efforts last season.

Detroit Tigers fans are used to seeing Justin Verlander dominate opposing hitters.

From his first full season in the Majors in 2006 to 2013, Verlander complied 137 wins while pitching to a 3.38 ERA and a 3.39 FIP in 1760.2 innings pitched. He also added 1664 strikeouts over the same span.

During the same span, the future Hall of Famer allowed just 2.8 walks and 0.8 home runs per nine innings—all the while compiling a stellar 40.9 WAR.

Due to all that success, the 2014 season was concerning for Tigers fans. Verlander’s ERA jumped to 4.54 as he allowed the most earned runs in the league. 15 wins and a 3.74 FIP improved the stat line, but Verlander wasn’t the same pitcher who won the MVP award.

Fast forward to 2016 and Justin Verlander is back to dominating opposing hitters. In fact, the starter’s 254 strikeouts in 2016 were four more than he had when he claimed both the MVP and the Cy Young award back in 2011.

Here’s a look back at the 33-year-old’s 2016 season—the “#MustSeeJV” hashtag certainly applies.