Justin Verlander doesn’t shy away from New York Mets’ World Series aspirations: "I'm not afraid to talk about winning a championship"

With a highly-anticipated New York Mets season just weeks away, Justin Verlander met with the media Wednesday. During the interview, the pitcher expounded upon why he decided to join the Mets this season after winning a World Series with the Houston Astros last season.

"I'm not afraid to talk about winning a championship," Verlander said. "I think establishing a culture where you expect to win a championship is important. You should be able to talk about it. That's what we're all here for. You don't shy away from it."

Verlander was signed to an $86.7 million, two-year deal by the Mets to replace departed star Jacob deGrom. The move reunited Verlander with Max Scherzer, a former Detroit Tigers teammate, atop the New York staff.

New York announced that Scherzer will start opening day on the road against the Miami Marlins on March 30. Verlander will get the home opener, also against the Marlins, on April 6.

The 39-year-old Verlander was a unanimous choice for the 2022 American League Cy Young Award. He had an MLB-best 1.75 ERA and 0.83 WHIP while topping the AL with 18 wins to help the Astros to the MLB championship.

Verlander had pitched for the Astros since a deadline day deal on Aug. 31, 2017, sending three prospects to the Tigers for the ace hurler. He spent his entire career with Detroit up to that point, debuting for the Tigers in 2005 after being selected No. 2 in the 2004 draft.

He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing arm in September 2020. He pitched one game that season before the surgery, then sat out the entirety of the 2021 season to recover from the procedure before making a tremendous comeback in 2022.

After hoisting the championship trophy with his Houston teammates, Verlander opted out of the final season of his contract, making him a free agent. He's making it clear that while he has switched teams and leagues, the goal remains the same.

Justin Verlander an almost certain Hall of Famer

Justin Verlander receives the American League Cy Young Award during the 2023 Baseball Writers' Association of America awards dinner.

Heading into his 18th season, Justin Verlander has put up a career of numbers that will almost certainly have him inducted into the Hall of Fame when his playing days are over. In 17 seasons, he has a 244-133 record, 3.24 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 3,198 strikeouts in 482 career starts. He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner with two World Series championships to his name.