Does the latest SF Giants signing have anything left in the tank?

In a bit of a surprise, the SF Giants have reportedly agreed to a deal with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. Verlander is coming off of a down year and entering his age-42 season, but does he have anything left in the tank?

Does the latest SF Giants signing have anything left in the tank?

Regardless of how he performs in 2025, the signing does give Giants fans something to look forward to as well as a somewhat bizarre quality. I mean, Verlander will be wearing a Giants uniform once his deal is finalized.

It would be tough to ever count out the veteran pitcher. After all, he is one of the greatest and most durable pitchers from his era. That said, he is coming off of a year in which he tallied a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts with the Houston Astros. He missed time due to neck and shoulder ailments.

The injuries are starting to pile up for the active leader in innings pitched with 3,415. This is a trend that typically does not reverse itself with age. Of course, Verlander is just two years removed from posting a 1.75 ERA in 28 starts while taking home his third Cy Young Award.

So, what went wrong for Verlander in 2024? By some measures, he was throwing the ball just fine last year. His four-seam fastball and curveball both had above-average movement profiles.

If you are going by Stuff+, all four of Verlander's pitches graded out as above average. There was no major shift in his pitch mix as he often relies on his fastball followed by his curveball and slider. Plus, he has shown above-average command throughout his career.

There was a notable drop in his fastball velocity to 93.5 MPH in 2024. Starting pitchers need premium velocity to pitch in today's game and while that is not a bad mark, it will not overwhelm hitters either.

The movement profiles and Stuff+ numbers were encouraging, but at the end of the day, the hitters will tell you how you are pitching. Opposing hitters posted a .299 batting average and .497 slugging percentage against Verlander's fastball in 2024. They recorded a .340 batting average and .560 slugging percentage against his curveball. These are not encouraging numbers.

On the other hand, hitters tallied a .195 batting average against Verlander's slider. He has generally favored his slider more than his curveball, but the curveball had a higher usage last year. Perhaps, a shift back to the slider would yield better results.

The 19-year veteran may not have much left in the tank but you can never count out a pitcher of his caliber. Plus, he is not too far removed from being an elite pitcher. A move to a more pitcher-friendly ballpark should help Verlander's topline numbers. At the end of the day, his biggest impact could be as a mentor to a young rotation.