Astros' ace Justin Verlander lauds Twins' depth ahead of ALDS showdown: "They're hot right now, so it's a great challenge"

The Minnesota Twins swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the recently concluded Wild Card series and had Houston Astros' ace Justin Verlander admiring them. The Twins will now face the Astros in the divisional round on October 7 at Minute Maid Park.

Ahead of the ALDS showdown, Verlander showered praises for the Twins and considered them a great challenge:

"A very good lineup that can cover a lot of different pitch shapes, pitch types. Obviously, they're hot right now, so it's a great challenge."

Verlander is expected to take the mound against the Twins on Saturday. The veteran, who was traded back by the Mets in July, will face Twins pitcher Bailey Ober. Verlander has an impressive career against the Minnesota club, going 22-10 with a 2.76 ERA in 40 starts.

The former three-time Cy Young winner has recorded 16 playoff victories (in 35 games) and is second all-time behind Andy Pettitte's 19 (in 44 games). Nine of those 16 wins came as a member of the Astros highlighting his contribution to the defending champion. Overall, Verlander is 16-11, registering a 3.64 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 35 postseason appearances.

Justin Verlander's 2023 season

The former American League MVP signed a two-year, $86.7 million contract with the New York Mets, including a $35 million vesting option for 2025. In his last start for the Mets, he pitched 5⅓ innings allowing one run, and became the 49th major league player to reach 250 wins. Verlander started 16 games for them, posting a 6-5 record and gave up 33 runs with an ERA of 3.15.

In the first week of August, he was traded back to the Astros in exchange for prospects and cash considerations. With the Astros he pitched in 11 games with a 1.12 WHIP, posting a 7-3 record and an ERA of 3.31.

Overall, for the regular season, Justin Verlander pitched 94.1 innings, posting a 3.15 ERA, walked 31 and struck out 81 hitters. Moreover, this postseason awaits another World Series title to his already impressive Hall of Fame resume.