Justin Verlander showed his age in 2024 when he posted a career-high ERA of 5.48 for the Houston Astros. Despite the struggles, the San Francisco Giants handed the 42-year-old pitcher a one-year contract worth $15 million, and things haven’t gone much better for him in 2025.
Was Signing Verlander A Mistake For The Giants?
He has had some rough outings so far this MLB season, but Friday’s performance was the worst. Pitching in Sacramento against the Athletics, Verlander lasted just three innings, giving up seven hits and six runs, all of them earned.
It marks his second-shortest outing of the season, and he remains winless as his record now drops to 0-6. The ERA that Verlander was working to decrease since starting out at 6.92 is now sitting at 4.84, which would tie for the second-worst single season mark of his 20-year career.
| Career (2005-2024) | 2025 | |
| ERA | 3.30 | 4.84 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.44 |
| Win/Loss Record | 262-147 | 0-6 |
Age is certainly a factor, especially considering his 2024 numbers. The velocity is down on his fastball, and he has had trouble staying healthy ever since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2022. He has already missed a full month this year while dealing with a pectoral injury.
The Giants have been struggling as a whole, and changes to the roster and even the pitching rotation could be in order. Of the team’s current five-man rotation, Verlander has some of the worst numbers, and could be the odd man out if the team is to make any tweaks.
Okay man Verlander is terrible
— trev (@BayAreaTrev) July 5, 2025
With the loss to the Athletics, the Giants are now 6-13 over their last 19 games. After briefly being tied for the lead in the NL West on June 13th, they are now in 3rd place and a full 9 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division.
All of this comes after a hot start saw the Giants lower their World Series odds from 80/1 in the preseason to 30/1 in June. The team made a big splash when they traded for Rafael Devers a few weeks back, but the slugger’s arrival has coincided with San Francisco’s current slump.
Things won’t get any easier after the Giants wrap up their weekend series in Sacramento. During the week leading up to the All-Star break, San Francisco will take on the Dodgers and Phillies, two of the top three teams in the National League.
