Former Mets starting pitcher Justin Verlander has already been with the Houston Astros for two weeks, but his short stint in Queens has become a hot topic as of late.
According to a report from Mike Puma of the New York Post, an anonymous player said that Verlander was a “diva” who was “largely detached” from his Mets teammates and often complained about how the team’s analytics department was inferior to the one he worked with in Houston.
According to Puma, this “diva” attitude caused some uneasiness between Verlander and Max Scherzer, who have had issues dating back to their time together in Detroit.
In addition, this unnamed Met told Puma that the 2023 clubhouse had a different feel than the previous season. Scherzer, alongside former Met Chris Bassitt, “enjoyed sharing information and helping younger pitchers, such as David Peterson and Tylor Megill.”
Following the report, the three-time Cy-Young Award winner has taken to social media, making a post to address the allegations.
“I want to say that I have nothing but respect for the Mets organization, and I enjoyed connecting with all of my teammates this season… new and old!! It truly was a wonderful group of people,” Verlander said.
“That being said, we all know the success of a team is made up of more than just the players on the field; everyone’s input is valuable. I’m sorry to hear that a staff member took offense to constructive criticism on how we could improve.”
Verlander finished the statement by saying, “Wishing nothing but best to the Mets moving forward.”
- Mets ace could be in line for rehab assignment as he nears anticipated return date
- Mets’ Adrian Houser labels slow start to 2024 MLB season as the ‘toughest stretch’ of his career
- Mets could pull off unprecedented superstar free agent signing in 2025 & retain Pete Alonso, per insider
The hidden story from this report isn’t great for the Mets
Ever since the trade deadline, there have been rumblings of clubhouse issues. While this revelation by Puma all but confirms that the problems with the 2023 team have gone beyond the performance on the field, there is something that is being critically overlooked: Verlander’s issues with the analytic department.
Verlander is a highly savvy picture and had just come from an organization in the Houston Astros that has been a consistent fixture in October baseball over the past few years.
If the 40-year-old felt that the Mets were lacking in the analytics department, they likely were, and in a game where analytics plays such a key role, that is something that needs to be changed for an organization where money is no object.