Justin Verlander Comments On Hearing Boos From The Home Fans
The New York Mets’ season has been a mess.
That’s the best way to describe it: the Edwin Diaz injury at the World Baseball Classic, Justin Verlander getting hurt before Opening Day, Max Scherzer’s injury issues and his 10-game suspension, and other players populating the IL have left them with a decimated roster and a 20-23 record as of Wednesday afternoon.
Fans are understandably frustrated, and they let that out in Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, which resulted in a loss.
They even booed Verlander, who has made just three starts with the team.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner lost the game by allowing six earned runs in five frames.
He shared his thoughts about being booed by his own fans.
Justin Verlander shared his thoughts on last night’s outing.
h/t @SNYtv pic.twitter.com/E60qxSa78V
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 17, 2023
Verlander, a 40-year-old star who has been on contending teams, on powerhouses, and on rebuilding squads, has enough knowledge to understand fans.
Of course, no one likes to be booed, but the pitcher took it with maturity.
He said that he expects to be better himself, and the whole team wants to perform, too.
They are trying their best out there, and so far the results haven’t been there.
They also encountered the best team in baseball in the Rays, so no, the game wasn’t going to be easy.
Tuesday’s struggles left Verlander’s ERA at 4.77, but he had been good in his first two outings and, if he is healthy, he will improve considerably in future outings.
This Mets team has the potential to turn the boos into cheers in a few weeks.
It is built to win a World Series, and even if it has some flaws, it can still compete for the ultimate goal in a best-case scenario.