AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS VS ASTROS

October 10, 2022

Justin Verlander

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: First question for Justin.

Q. It's been almost three years since you've pitched in a playoff game. What's your frame of mind as you get ready for tomorrow night and get back in this kind of atmosphere?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, excited. I know what the atmosphere is going to be like. This crowd here's always great, especially in the playoffs. So hopefully we can feed off that, and just try to continue to pitch like I have all season.

Q. You've obviously seen the Mariners a lot this year and over your career. What do you think about this team in particular and the challenges that they present?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, they're a really good team. They present a lot of difficulties. Their pitching staff is really good. Their lineup is really good. They never give in, as you saw in the series against Toronto. They grind out at-bats. They don't make it easy. Obviously they're playing good baseball right now.

So having seen them a lot, it's interesting. I don't know how that really plays out, but an in-division rival at this point in the year, we know each other so intimately, it makes it interesting.

Q. You were around Framber a lot when he was first trying to find his way at this level. What was it like for you the last couple of years while you were away seeing him figure it out and then being around him this year as he became an All Star?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, to see his maturation has been wonderful. Obviously, we're always rooting for each other and want to see success. But to see where he's at now from when I left, it's like your cousin that you haven't seen in a few years and you come back and it's just a totally different person.

That's kind of how Framber was for me this year, just to see his presence on the field, he knows what he's doing, he knows what he does well, his confidence is so much higher. It's been a lot of fun to watch.

Q. You mentioned your first game in a couple years in playoff level. What is the difference that you feel that you changed better, worse, from that last playoff appearance to this playoff appearance, and the responsibility that Dusty Baker gave you basically being like the captain pro bono of this team when he told you to say some words when you guys qualified for the playoffs?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, I wasn't really prepared for that, as you guys saw with a lot curse words. You probably had to beep out a bunch of stuff.

But I appreciate it. There's a lot of captains on this team. There's a lot of guys that lead. So just being able to say something, and I think Dusty's heard me a lot this season, probably knew what I was going to say, just having the perspective of being away from the game so long and appreciating the ride that we're on right now and not taking anything for granted, never being complacent, how much you need to appreciate the little things.

Obviously, we want to win a World Series, but getting to the playoffs and winning a division is nothing to look past. It's a great accomplishment. So I was glad Dusty asked me to say something and I appreciate that. And from my experience in the past, I think I'm just going to try to draw on some of my playoff starts before. I know what to expect. It's going to be a little more adrenaline, a little more nerves, but you can use that to your advantage.

Q. If I recall right, you mentioned in 2012 in Detroit the layoff after the CS to the World Series and how that kind of negatively affected you guys. A, how do you feel like the team kind of handled this layoff; and B, do you like this format where the top two seeds get this much time off between the regular season and the DS?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: I don't know. To be determined, I guess, you know, see how we come out. I think that, knowing the guys on this team, we've done everything we possibly can to prepare and give ourselves the best chance of success.

In 2012 and in 2006, we had significantly more time, I believe. I think we had at least a week. I understand the format. I understand the days off. It's just an interesting sport where you go and play almost every day and then all of a sudden in the playoffs you take four or five days off.

I don't know how it's going to play out. I know that we have left no stone unturned to make sure that we're ready and capable, though.

Q. You've been so appreciative, if not reflective, with us this year. We saw you in the outfield during BP kind of by yourself looking around a little bit. Without getting too much into a game plan, what's going through your mind the day before a big start and maybe now any different than it would have been years past?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: I guess what's going through my mind, I don't know, I try to just keep things as routine as possible. My wife would probably say I'm a bit different attitude-wise. I think most people around me that are close to me can tell that I just kind of focus in a little bit more. I'm a little less jovial.

I think in the past, I don't know, I don't know how it's different this time. I think this season, which is the only real data I can draw from, is just allowing myself to be more present and just enjoy the ride, and not try to overdo pressure, just accept it, know what it is, and enjoy whatever happens. It's been a fun ride thus far and hopefully it takes us all the way to a championship.

Q. You think back to your first postseason appearance ever, 16 years ago old Yankee Stadium, you'll probably be opposing somebody in his first postseason start, what do you recall about the emotions of that day, afternoon game Yankee Stadium, and how you have you maybe changed the way you process the tension of a postseason game since then?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, that was wild. It was actually my first time pitching in old Yankee Stadium too. I didn't pitch there that season. I remember going out the day before and standing on the mound just kind of like trying to take it all in since I had never stood out there before. That day was just a whirlwind, to be honest. It's just like so much emotion and stress, and to come out of that victorious, as our team won, it was just such a great feeling.

It is just a different, it's a different game in the playoffs. It just is. You kind of get in the grind of the regular season, things, you're just kind of like on this consistent ride, and then all of a sudden the playoffs are just a different animal. It's a different game. There's a lot of, a lot more pressure.

I think drawing from the past, it's just, it's okay to understand that there is a lot of pressure and it's added. But once I start throwing the baseball, I know that I'm going to kind of settle into my routine and feel normal-ish.

Q. José Altuve was at the top of the league as far as leadoff home runs. Just for you, what was it like watching him put points on the board so early in the game? And from a pitcher's perspective, how challenging is it or frustrating is it to have a guy who can jump on you like that, sometimes on the very first pitch?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: José is just so impressive, such an impressive baseball player in so many facets. You can put him anywhere in the lineup and he finds a way to do what's best for the team in that spot, and at the end of the year, you look up and his numbers are what they are.

The leadoff spot, it's a difficult spot for, as a pitcher against somebody like José, who is very aggressive. You know he likes to swing and can pretty much hit anything. So it kind of makes you a little more nervous for that first pitch of the game.

But he's been a leader of ours all season, leads by example, leads in the clubhouse. To see him do what he did this year is very special. I really always enjoy watching him play baseball. He can beat you in so many different ways, whether it's a leadoff homer or a stolen base or the extra base going first to third, whatever it may be, and one of my favorite players to ever watch play.

Q. A couple years ago Ryne Stanek was non-tendered by Miami. Here he is setting records for the Astros. What do you think about him and having him behind you in the bullpen?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: Yeah, incredible season by Ryne. It's been incredible to watch him. I didn't get to see him much before. So to see it up close in person, there's a -- pretty much every guy in our bullpen, when I come out of the game you're happy to see them come in behind you and know that they're going to give us a good chance to win. But Ryne and what he was able to do this year specifically as you pointed out was very special.

Q. I know when you got here in 2017 Joe Musgrove was one of the guys that learned a lot from you and took a lot from your example. I wondered, just last night, just seeing what he did, your emotions in maybe looking back and then how much you maybe stay in touch with Joe here to this day?

JUSTIN VERLANDER: I stay in touch with Joe a little bit. But I was actually at dinner last night. So I didn't get to watch the game. Yeah, I know he had great outing and that was a well-fought series. And from my personal experience, having those big games, those do-or-die games, when you're on the mound for your team and you come away and get the win and pitch really well, there's no greater feeling.