SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As Hayden Birdsong threw one of his first bullpens of camp, a voice from behind peppered him with constructive criticism.
That’s a good miss.
Not quite that far. You’re like a ball off.
That’s beautiful, man.
The words did not originate from pitching coach J.P. Martinez, who stood right behind Birdsong. The sage advice derived from Justin Verlander, the future Hall of Famer who has spent spring training doubling as a mentor.
“He’s a Hall of Famer, obviously,” Birdsong said of Verlander, who signed a one-year, $17 million deal. “Everybody knows who Justin Verlander is. It’s nice to have a guy like that … in my corner and trying to help me out as much as I can. For any of us young guys, it helps a lot.”
Verlander, who turns 42 on Thursday, has been proactive about watching his fellow pitchers when he’s available. During the first full-squad workout on Monday, Verlander planted himself behind the pitcher’s mound next to Robbie Ray and Logan Webb, getting a direct view of Landen Roupp and Randy Rodríguez as they threw their live bullpens. Verlander did more of the same on Tuesday, getting a front-row view of Webb and Birdsong.
“It’s an honor to know that somebody of his stature is back there watching you,” Rodríguez said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros.
“When I got back in the clubhouse, he was sitting in here and I asked him, ‘Is there anything that you noticed from behind that maybe I didn’t notice while I was doing it?’” Roupp recalled. “He said, ‘Nothing really’ and that I looked good. Having a guy like that stand behind you and watch you and know that you can use him as a resource to better your game is awesome.”
Verlander wasn’t always willing to be a sounding board, sharing that the younger version of himself was similar to a “horse with blinders on.” That is, Verlander mainly prioritized himself and his own success. As he’s aged — and become a father — he’s slowly removed those blinders. On the cusp of his 20th season, he’s more willing to communicate, to help the next generation, to pass on what he’s learned.
“He was, for a long time, really focused on what he was doing. … But he’s been very vocal with our pitchers, watching particular bullpens, having input,” Melvin said. “That stuff’s like gold, especially for some of these young pitchers who couldn’t wait to get here and have a conversation with him, let alone talking about mechanics or talking about where you are on the rubber — all the experience that he has. In a short period of time here … he’s made quite an impact on all these guys.”
Verlander’s impact only begins with his willingness to listen and observe; when he works, people watch. The right-hander attracts no shortage of spectators during his bullpen sessions. Verlander works with intent, declaring what he wants to do with a specific pitch, then executing as predicted.
“It was really cool to see that,” said left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who watched one of Verlander’s bullpens. “He’s done it long enough that he knows what he needs. Just listening to what he tells his catchers and his thought process between each pitch, what he’s looking for on the pitches. It’s been really interesting to watch what works for him and what doesn’t.”
Ray, 33, has long understood the value of watching Verlander work. When Ray and Verlander were teammates with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, Ray observed Verlander working on a splitter while playing catch. By that point, Verlander’s résumé already included a Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young Award, an MVP and six All-Star selections. At the time, Ray couldn’t conceive why Verlander would want to do something different.
“I was like, ‘Dude, this is Justin Verlander. What are you doing?’” Ray recalled. “He was like, ‘I’m just trying to get better.’ To me, that stuck out. This guy’s head this amazing career already and he’s still pushing to try something different. He’s still trying to further his career, even though he’s done everything that he’s done right now.”
That willingness to evolve and adapt has never stopped.
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Verlander maintained the same offseason routine for most of his career, taking several months off once a season ended before beginning his throwing program around January. That habit served Verlander for most of his career. Last year, it finally backfired as Verlander dealt with a right shoulder injury that kept him off the Opening Day roster.
Verlander, who had a career-worst 5.48 ERA last season, could’ve stuck to his laurels. Instead, he adapted.
The right-hander never stopped throwing once last season ended, continuing to keep his arm active throughout the winter. When Verlander spoke to reporters for the first time after signing with the Giants, he reported that he was already touching 92 mph. So far this spring, Verlander’s velocity has hovered near the mid-90s.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to pitch with a lot of really good pitchers in my career. Nothing against those guys, but none of them are Justin Verlander,” Webb said. ‘“He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It’s going to be fun to learn. … It’s the attention to detail that he has. I don’t think you can pitch 20 years in the big leagues and be as good as he is without having some of that, right?”
Worth noting
Infielder Tyler Fitzgerald is dealing with a minor lower-back injury, per Melvin. The Giants will likely keep him out a couple more days.
After homering off Sean Hjelle during live bullpens yesterday, Willy Adames hit not one, but two homers off Webb today. “I don’t think it’s a secret Willy’s gotten me a couple times,” Webb said. “Glad he’s on my side now.”
