PORT ST. LUCIE — The dynamic between hellbent Mets co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer will be a godsend for both of them and the Mets as well.
That’s the reassuring word from Ben Verlander, Justin’s Little Brother and Fox Sports MLB analyst.
“I think they’re just two of the most competitive people you’ll find,” Ben told The Post. “I think that benefits each other. I think having each other … you can’t both be the best of all time. But you can both want to be the best, and you can both be competitive about being the best, and I think that’s what you have when you have a Justin and a Max at the top of the rotation. … I think it’s gonna help each other that they’re as competitive with each other as they are, and I think it’s only gonna benefit them and the Mets.”
Ben, whose Flippin’ Bats podcast is a must-listen, can’t wait to watch Big Brother step onto the New York stage.
“I think he was born for it,” Ben said. “He’s a winner, he’s a go-getter, he wants to be the best. And what better way to be the best than to do it on the world’s biggest stage, which is in New York City. His mentality that he’s had his whole career is absolutely perfect for New York City.”
And Ben is certain that the same goes for his sister-in-law, model Kate Upton. “She’s incredible,” Ben said. “She’s a great sister-in-law to me. We are super, super close. She is born for New York City. She’s super-excited to be there. She will be right at home in New York. She has been right at home in New York in the past, she’s called New York home before.
Justin Verlander pitches at Mets spring training on March 4. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Ben Verlander is an analyst for Fox Sports. Getty Images“That’s her city. And now it’s Justin’s city, so [chuckle], they’re in a really good spot to be the ultimate power couple if you will.”
Ben is 31. Justin is 40.
“He’s the most competitive person that I’ve ever been around,” Ben said. “Having him as an older brother, I’m extremely competitive. Winning drives him. Being the greatest drives him.”
Even after three Cy Youngs. “Up there with the same mentality that his idol growing up, Nolan Ryan, had,” Ben said. “Nolan had quite the bulldog mentality on the mound, and no fear at all, and Justin’s the exact same way, and you can see that in the way he pitches. He’s not afraid to throw fastball after fastball at you and try and get you out the way he wants to get you out.”
Everyone feared the worst when Justin underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 30, 2020. “I almost think it ended up being a blessing in disguise the way it all worked,” Ben said.
Ben was the first to interview Big Brother following his first World Series win last fall with the Astros in Game 5 over the Phillies. “I can’t put it into words enough how special of a moment that was for both of us,” Ben said. “There was a moment on the field where we both just hugged each other and looked at each other and let out a few tears.”
Ben Verlander, right, interviews Justin Verlander after the Astros won the 2022 World Series. Getty Images
Justin Verlander, left, and model wife Kate Upton at the 2023 BBWAA Awards. Getty ImagesBen can vividly recall Big Brother’s MLB debut with the Tigers in Cleveland on July 5, 2005. “Justin was so young and so new that he didn’t know anything about the guest lists or where to put family,” Ben said, “so we were sitting in like the second-to-last row from the top of the stadium cheering for my brother, losing our minds screaming for him. And people were like, ‘Why are you guys yelling so loud?’ I remember my parents were like, ‘That’s our son, he’s making his debut!’ ”
Justin will be starting for Buck Showalter on Friday. “I think there was definitely a moment where my brother kind of shaped my life and the outlook I’ve had on life without even maybe knowing it,” Ben said.
(Growing up in Richmond, Va., Ben idolized former Braves great Chipper Jones prior to idolizing Big Brother).
Justin Verlander at Mets spring training on March 4. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post“But when I was just a kid playing in All-Stars in Little League, I remember once we made the All-Star team we were allowed to pick our jersey number for the tournament. And I picked 35, because of him. I was all proud of it, I wanted to be like him … I wanted to be him. And then I remember he had a conversation with me which was basically like, ‘I love that you chose 35, I’m super-proud of you and thankful, but I also want you to create your own name, and have your own path and do your own thing.’ And, that really stuck with me my whole life, and I’m so thankful for that conversation. Who knew at the time he’d go on to be a Hall of Famer and it’d be almost impossible for me to accomplish anything in the baseball world near as good as he was able to.”
And so at Old Dominion, Ben abandoned his MLB pitching dream for the outfield. “I didn’t want to just be Justin’s brother,” Ben said.
Ben, predominantly a right-handed right fielder, played five years in the Tigers organization and was released in 2017 by Lakeland. “I was the best baseball player of my life the day I got released,” Ben said.
Ben Verlander played five seasons in the Tigers organization. Getty ImagesThe Bros. Verlander are different in personality, but similar in many other ways. “I’m more sensitive than he is,” Ben said. “All of our mannerisms, the way we stand, the way we talk, the way we laugh … we have the exact same birthmark in the exact same spot on our neck.”
Tom Brady played until 45. Could Justin Verlander?
“Oh yeah he can. Oh yeah he can,” Little Brother said. “Who knows how long he’s gonna go? But his last two seasons he’s pitched, he’s won a Cy Young award in both of ’em. He’s proving age is just a number. He’s still throwing in the upper 90’s, his stuff is still there. He’s learned how to pitch. He’s super meticulous about the way he goes about his work, about the way he goes about his body, about the way he gets himself into shape and the way he’s in tune with his own body. I’ve never seen or heard anybody like that honestly aside from maybe Tom Brady himself. As long as he’s still pitching at the top of his game, he’s gonna keep going.”
Little Brother’s message to Mets fans about Big Brother?
“He’s not coming in to want to pitch well for himself,” Ben said, “he’s coming in to want to win a championship. It’s gonna be a World Series-or-Bust kind of attitude. You’re getting a Hall if Famer on the field, you’re getting a Hall of Fame person, and maybe not that they care as much, but they’re getting a Hall of Fame brother as well [laugh].”
