Justin Verlander was once a skinny teenager known as a “brontosaurus” by his parents. Before he became a three-time Cy Young Award winner, he struggled in high school to generate enough arm strength to attract scouts.
To overcome this, he chose to attend college and patiently developed his pitching skills through traditional training methods. Eventually, his hard work paid off, propelling him from a promising prospect to a major league star and a dominant pitcher.
Today, young pitchers face immense pressure to achieve high pitching velocities early in their careers due to advanced training techniques. Verlander believes that if these methods had been prevalent during his youth, he might not have had the time to mature into one of the best pitchers of his era.
Reflecting on the challenges parents of young baseball players face today, Verlander empathizes deeply. He acknowledges the difficulty of finding the right guidance and environment for their children to thrive and grow in the sport.
As someone who reached the pinnacle of baseball success despite lacking a family background in the sport, he understands the uncertainty and tough decisions parents must navigate to support their talented young athletes.
