"He’s still racking up Cy Young’s & WS rings" - Justin Verlander's brother shuts down fan's harsh criticism over pitcher's recent struggles

Veteran Houston Astros hurler Justin Verlander is finding it tough from the mound in 2024. The 41-year-old has struggled for consistency with injuries hindering his progress and drawing criticism from MLB fans as a result.

Verlander had an underwhelming game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. However, his brother, Ben Verlander, a renowned broadcaster, came to his defense when a fan poked fun at the nine-time All-Star's performance.

"You should focus on the dismal outing your brother just had!" a fan commented on Ben Verlander's X (formerly Twitter) post about Justin Steele.

Ben, defended his brother's performance, highlighting his World Series triumphs, along with Cy Young accolades.

"He’s a Hall of Famer, my guy. Nothing left to prove to anyone. Just cool he’s still racking up Cy Youngs and WS rings," Ben responded.

Justin Verlander has made a strong case for his induction into the Hall of Fame after a storied career spanning nearly two decades. The former Rookie of the Year has two World Series titles to boot with the Astros. He won the Babe Ruth Award in 2017 for his remarkable postseason performance en route to his first WS ring. He is also a three-time Cy Young Award winner, with his last coming during his second World Series-winning campaign with the Astros in 2022.

Justin Verlander reflects on underwhelming performance in Phillies loss

Justin Verlander was against an in-form Aaron Nola from the mound on Tuesday and the Phillies ace was just too good for the 41-year-old All-Star hurler. Nola pitched seven scoreless innings for the Phillies, conceding four hits and striking out six as the Astros were shut out for a second successive defeat.

“Going against Nola, when he’s going well, obviously you know it’s going to be a tight game,” Verlander said. “And once you give up the one, you’ve got to hold them there.”

Nick Castellanos' three-run homer off Verlander in the third inning capped off a four-run third inning for the Phillies, proving to be an insurmountable lead for the Astros to overturn.

“Nick took a great swing on a pitch that hung a little bit,” Verlander said, “and that was the ballgame, unfortunately.”

This was just the second start for Justin Verlander since his return last week after missing nearly two months of action due to a neck injury.