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AL DIVISION SERIES: RAYS VS ASTROS

October 3, 2019

Justin Verlander

Houston, Texas - Workout Day

Q. Again in this location, start off another postseason, coach says you get better and better because you evolve and you don't stop evolving.
Where's the hunger coming from? And what's your, obviously, what's your objective for this series?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: I mean, to answer the first question, I guess the hunger just comes from me. Just comes from within. The will, the urge to want to be the best I can be. So I'm going to continue to strive to do that.

And then this series, what I'd like to accomplish is to win it.

Q. Justin, there are comparisons of you and Cole now, you guys inspire comparisons to Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, some of the best duos we've seen in the last 20 years. How do you feel about the comparison?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: It's pretty cool. Two guys I grew up watching and idolizing. So, I mean, to have that comparison feels awesome.

But I mean, I think at this point, you got to turn the page and get ready for postseason. Those guys also didn't win a World Series that year. I believe that they had that spectacular season.

So, I mean, our goal now, single season, regular season numbers are out the window. Our goal now is to try to win a championship. So that's what our focus is.

Q. Justin, what was it like coming here and using, figuring out how to use all the information? Has it been good for you? Has it been a difficult adjustment? What's it been like?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: It was a pretty seamless adjustment. I started doing my own due diligence and kind of looking into analytics with my time in Detroit. So coming here was, I don't want to say an easy transition. It took a lot of work. But guys, Brian McCann was somebody that helped me a lot, Dallas Keuchel helped me a lot. Guys that used the system here and how they best used it. Those guys did a lot of work with me when I first got here. I'm kind of passing that on with guys who come here now.

Q. What do you think has made the Rays such a difficult matchup for you guys the last couple years since you've been here? They've had your number kind of.
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, they have a great team. I think they have great pitching. They have a great bullpen. They can match up well just about with anybody in the lineup. And, I mean, their lineup is -- as you saw last night, really good and scrappy. They can do all the little things they need to get runs across. They can play the long ball. They can play small ball. They can steal basis. They can find ways to squeeze across runs when they need to.

Definitely, they pose a huge challenge.

Q. With the depth that they have in their lineup, how does that challenge you?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: I guess you have to be prepared for any scenario. As a starter, I think it's typically a little bit different because the lineup they set is probably the lineup they're going to want out there against me. I think it poses a challenge for bullpens, for A.J. matching up scenarios and matching up hitters against pitchers and kind of what you want -- what matchup you want in a given situation.

Q. Just a follow-up on Richard's question, about coming here and different changes, did it surprise you how much better you've been since you came here? You were an outstanding pitcher before you even arrived. And the level keeps going up.
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Surprised, no. Happy? Yeah. I think a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes. As you know, it's just -- I think people tend to forget how well I was pitching in Detroit after I came off an injury as well, before I got here.

So I think it's a combination of things. But mostly, I think it's nice to see a lot of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, the stuff that where cameras aren't present to have that pay off is the most gratifying thing.

Q. Justin, two-part question, if I could. How special is it for you to be in this position now? Talking opening game of the playoffs. Part two, Baseball Digest named you their MLB pitcher of the year. The accolades starting to roll in, thoughts about that. Two parts.
JUSTIN VERLANDER: What was the first one?

Q. How special is it to be in this position, opening day starter for postseason?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Is extremely special. I mean, I think any time you have the ability to play in the playoffs, much less start a game, much less start game 1, these are all special moments that I never take for granted and always appreciate. I think having drawn from my experiences in the past will help me.

I know that there's not much you can do about the nerves. You kind of embrace it and go out there and give everything you got and see what happens.

And then the Baseball Digest, it's a great honor. You said the awards are starting to roll in. You can't think about that now. Not that I will think about it. It's just, I mean, we have a bigger thing going on right now. Even though I'm extremely honored, that's something at the end of the season that I'll really, truly appreciate.

Q. Justin, in July, it seemed like the first half of the year, you were allowing a lot more home runs than we've seen. That curtailed in the second half. What adjustments did you make to limit the home runs against you?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Hm. I mean, a few little things here and there. Nothing crazy. Definitely don't want to get too far into it, though. Can't give away all my secrets.

Q. Justin, last year, 50 percent of the postseason innings went to the bullpen. This is the clear trend now for a lot of teams. How do you feel about that?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: I feel like if I did my job as a starting pitcher throughout the season, that our bullpen should be fresh and ready to thrive in those innings or be as prepared as possible to thrive in those innings. I think that's why -- I know what you're asking because I have an old school mentality.

I think that's one of the things that's so special about going out there and logging 200 innings is not that it just saves your bullpen that day, but the day before, the day after. And then when you pair that with Gerrit and Zack and hopefully our guys are as fresh as they can possibly be.

Playoffs is a different animal. If you don't have it that given day, you don't have that leash that you normally have in the regular season to log some more innings. The games can get away from you quickly.

I'm okay with that. I think there are certain matchups that a manager looks for that he wants to exploit. If that shows up in a bigger spot and he doesn't necessarily like me against that guy, then I completely understand it.

Q. What is special about pitching in this building during the playoffs when the roof's about to blow off and it's that loud? Are you so locked in that you may not even notice much of that? How much do you notice when it gets crazy?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: I mean, you feel it. You notice it. Try not to pay attention to it. It's more background noise, hopefully. But it's a pretty special atmosphere, that's for sure. Our fans have been incredible since I've been here. Have been some of the best fans I've played in front of.

So like I said, you try not to really focus on that, but it's one of the things that at the end of the game and you're exhausted and hopefully victorious that you remember. I definitely remember the atmospheres that I pitched in here.

Q. Justin, A.J. said that he said something to you about pitching for five more years, and you said why not ten. In an ideal world, how many years could you see yourself -- more years could you see yourself pitching?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: I don't know. I guess I kind of pegged this like 45 number. Whether that's realistic or not, I don't know. I know I'm not going to sell myself short. I'm going to continue to do all the work that I can. I'm going to continue to adapt, going to continue to work my butt off in the off-season and then do all the kind of maintenance stuff and whatever new things come around that I need to adjust with in season.

I know the arm is healthy. I mean, I think the one thing that pitchers need to maintain that is unique in our sport is every mile an hour that you maintain or lose, it directly correlates with success.

I know Zack is somebody who I've been watching intently just because he's been one of the few guys that's been able to excel with lower velocity and as he's aged, it's been pretty incredible to watch.

I've been talking to him a lot about some of the stuff he's done, how he's changed his preparation, how he changed his pitching style. Hopefully all the work I've put in, I don't need to go to that so quickly.

But you never know. I'm just trying to -- I know the fire is still there. The competitiveness is still there. And as long as that's there, I'm going to try to just thrive as long as I can.

Q. Not that you guys need any motivation. Last year is last year. But does the way last year ended, does that stick with you guys at all or still fuel you, or is that kind of a cliché?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: I think it's a bit of a cliché. I mean, maybe if we were playing the Red Sox, it would be a little bit of something to it. But you turn the page pretty quickly. I mean, this is a new year. So yeah.

Q. Justin, A.J. was talking about how the Rays are one of the most innovative teams and Kevin Cash is one of the more unpredictable managers he faces. Does that aspect in the sort of unique way the Rays go about things, does that come through to you as you game plan against them?
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, it does. I think, like I said, I'm going to have to prepare for the lineup that they're going to throw out there to face me. I think at this point, you've got to prepare for any lineup. You don't know who they're going to run out there. There's no kind of rhyme or reason. I'm sure there's rhyme or reason if you ask them.

But for me, I've got to pretty much game plan for their entire team, whether it be a pinch-hit in a certain situation or not. I don't think that would typically be the case against the starter, because like I said earlier, I think they'll run out the lineup against me that they think warrants them the most success. I think that's more of an A.J. and bullpen scenario.

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