VIDEO: Watch Justin Verlander Join MLB Legends With 200th Strikeout for 9th Season in His Career
By Parker White
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander continues to rack up impressive accolades that only solidify his case for the Hall of Fame. On Sunday, Verlander struck out Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager in the second inning with a fastball outside, making that 200 strikeouts on the season. Yet again.
This is the ninth season of Verlander's career where he's struck out 200 or more batters, including four straight campaigns, right when many had begun to write him off as a true ace. The 36-year-old hurler is now just the seventh pitcher in big league history to accomplish this.
Of the pitchers who accomplished this before Verlander, only Roger Clemens is not in Cooperstown.
Verlander is continually among the top strikeout artists in baseball, including last year, when he led the American League with 290 strikeouts. The power right-hander is inching closer to 3,000 career strikeouts, and with the way he's going, it won't take him much longer.