Gary Verstappen

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Gary Verstappen
Washington Nationals — No. 9
Starting Pitcher
Born: February 10, 1992
Westerlee, Netherlands
Bats: Switch Throws: Right 
MLB debut
April 11, 2012 for the San Francisco Giants
Career statistics
(through 2022)
Earned Runs Average    1.12
Strikeouts    2370
Wins    221
Losses    31
Innings Pitched    2523.1
Teams
  • San Francisco Giants (2012-2016)
  • New York Mets (2017)
  • Chicago White Sox (2018-2021)
  • Washington Nationals (2022-present)
Career highlights and awards
  • 2x World Series Champions (2015, 2022)
  • NL Cy Young Award (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022)
  • AL Cy Young Award (2018, 2019, 2021)
  • 11x MLB All-Star (2012-22)
  • 7x NL ERA Champion (2012-17, 2022)
  • 4x AL ERA Champion (2018-21)
  • 2x NL Strikeouts Champion (2017, 2022)
  • 2x AL Strikeouts Champion (2018-19)
  • National League Champions (2012, 2015, 2016, 2022)
  • American League Champions (2019)
  • NL West Champions (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016)
  • AL Central Champions (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
  • NL East Champions (2022)


Gary Verstappen (born February 10, 1992) is a Dutch baseball player, playing as a starting pitcher, currently playing for the Washington Nationals. He has won seven Cy Young awards, has been an all-star pitcher in all of his seasons thus far, and won the World Series in 2015. So far he has played with the San Francisco Giants, the New York Mets, and the Chicago White Sox.

Early Life

Born on February 10, 1992 in Westerlee, a suburb of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, he was the only child of Jules and Marie Verstappen. Jules worked as a construction worker making minimum wage while his mother could barely keep a job for more than two months. His mother was also very alcoholic and sometimes even involved in drug trafficking to get money. Marie was arrested in 1994 and sent to jail for two months, and lost custody of Gary to Jules. Marie died suddenly in 1997 due to a car accident. Jules, meanwhile, wanted his child to get involved in sports, preferably soccer, but after watching highlights of MLB games (and being fans of David Wells, Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez), Jules got Gary into baseball at the local park. By the time he was 16 he was being sought after by MLB scouts as a future prospect after winning the national high school title in baseball. His small figure was a downsize, though, and his fastball was only marked at 85mph. He ended up being drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 27th round of the 2009 draft.

Minor League Career

Verstappen was quickly assigned to the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels in the Eastern League in 2010 on the starting rotation. Despite the fact that his first few starts were shaky, he wound up getting a 1.62 ERA on his way to a 10-4 record. Among one of his weaknesses according to scouts was that his confidence was low, so the manager of the AAA Fresno Grizzlies took this as being a humble player, and he got the call-up to the Pacific Coast League in 2011. That season was much better, posting a 13-6 record, leading the league in ERA, and impressed with 176 strikeouts. He got called up to the MLB before the 2012 season.

MLB Career

San Francisco: 2012-16

2012

Verstappen was called up to the starting rotation at the opening day in 2012, but he didn't get his first start until April 11. He went for 6 innings and struck out 5, allowing one earned run for the game to have a no-decision caused by a disasterous bullpen session for the Giants. Despite this, Verstappen continued on in this form, eventually starting 31 games, going 12-5. He led the league in ERA, and placed second for the NL Rookie of the Year award for that year. His best month was in August, when he did not allow an earned run for the entire month, a feat that has yet to be repeated before or since. After the Giants won the NL West by five games, he played in Game 5 of the NLDS against Atlanta, where he went for 6.2 innings and did not allow an earned run for the entire game. After the Giants swept the Dodgers, Verstappen started for the Giants against the Texas Rangers in the World Series, and went 7 innings without giving up an earned run to win the first game. Verstappen also started Game 6 of the World Series, and went 6.1 innings without giving up an earned run, but a disasterous bullpen session for the Giants prevented the win and a clinch of the series. The Giants would end up losing the series 4 games to 3.

2013

Verstappen got to pitch for the Giants on opening day, and went on to start 33 games, going 15-7. Despite this, however, the Giants would be off the pace for most of the season, until an August winning streak got the team briefly back in the playoff race for the NL West title, until they got swept up by the Dodgers in the second last series of the season. Despite the downsides, Verstappen had a stellar year for the Giants, leading the league in ERA, and pitching over 200 strikeouts, being one of the three pitchers in the league to do so. He also placed second in voting for the NL Cy Young Award.

2014

Verstappen quickly signed a four year contract with San Francisco for approximately $20 million US, which some say was not was an offer the team was expecting. Although there were concerns that he might not post the same numbers, he proved everyone wrong by only allowing two earned runs in the month. He also had a complete game shutout against Milwaukee on April 18, pitching six strikeouts in 75 pitches.. However, the mediocrity of the Giants' bullpen was fully shown as after Verstappen won on May 4, he had six straight no decision games, lost the next start on June 11 before finally picking up a win on June 18. Thankfully, CJ Wilson, the main culprit of the blown saves, was dealt to Kansas City for Gabriel Guerrero.

Verstappen continued his good strings of results, including posting a one-hit game in eight innings against San Diego. The team then ran consistently a few games behind the wildcard. Verstappen started two straight games in a row on August 9 and 10, starting on the 10th since Barry Zito, the projected starter, went out suddenly due to back spasms. He only pitched for one inning and was relieved by the bullpen for the rest of the game. Verstappen then held for two hits against Colorado in eight innings on August 26, and did the same thing against Cincinnati, holding them to five hits in eight innings on September 11. He then pitched a complete game against San Diego on September 17, striking out 10 in 70 pitches.

The San Francisco Giants underwent an amazing comeback in September, going 21-6 during the month, including going 12 straight from the 10th to the 22nd. The team clinched the NL West on the last day of the regular season, as the previous division leaders, Colorado, went just below .500 for the month. The team was eliminated by the NL East Champions Atlanta in five games, with Verstappen starting Game 4 and taking a non-decision. (San Francisco won the game.) Verstappen then won the NL CY Young Award, in part to leading the league in walks allowed, ERA, and win percentage.

2015

Verstappen started off the 2015 season nearly pitching a complete game, going eight innings against Milwaukee. He started off with five straight wins to start the season, with his streak ending on May 6 when Jeremy Affeldt blew a save in the tenth inning against Florida, after Verstappen pitched nine innings in a 2-1 loss. In the month of April, Verstappen only allowed three earned runs.

During Verstappen's great start to the season, the Giants pulled off a nine game winning streak (May 12-20) and ended the month of May 34-15, leading the NL West. Verstappen himself had an ERA under one, which was unheard of in the MLB. After a rare tough outing against Toronto (allowing four hits in four innings, including two straight to start the fourth), Verstappen went 10-0 on June 13 against the Los Angeles Angels, a complete game shutout. He was the first person to go 10-0 to start the season since Roger Clemens did so in 1997. Verstappen then improved on his start winning games #11 and #12 against Milwaukee and the Dodgers, both by one run. Verstappen then dominated against Colorado, pushing himself to 13-0 on July 5. Verstappen then reached a historic high by beating Washington on July 10, reaching Roger Clemens' personal record of 14-0 set in 1986.

His undefeated start to the season earned him the start for the National League in the 2015 All-Star Game. Verstappen pitched two shutout innings to lead the NL towards victory. His next start on July 18 was against a sold-out crowd in San Francisco against the New York Mets, but although he pitched six scoreless innings, the end result was a no-decision. His next game against Arizona on July 23 proved to be a winner, putting him officially against the great Dave McNally and Johnny Allen to be one of the only starting pitchers to go 15-0 to start a season. He gave up a homerun to catcher Miguel Montero during the game, the first time he did so in 39 innings, a personal record. The next game on July 28 against Florida was also a winner, putting him at 16-0 to start the season, a first in the MLB. Verstappen won again against the Dodgers and the Reds, having a no decision game in between against the Braves. Verstappen won again on August 19 against Philadelphia, putting him at 19-0.

His next game was on August 24 against Houston. Despite striking out nine batters and only allowing four hits, Verstappen found himself down 1-0 after seven innings. However, Ryan Howard hit a three-run homerun at the bottom of the ninth, giving San Francisco the win and giving Verstappen a no decision, keeping the streak alive. However, on August 30, Verstappen pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He was relieved one batter into the eighth inning, and the Giants lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-0. It was the first loss for Verstappen in the 2015 season, and his first since September 12, 2014. The next game, against the Dodgers on September 5, was a no-decision on Verstappen, allowing only two hits. Verstappen ended the season 24-1, with an ERA of 0.76, which broke a seemingly unbreakable record of the lowest ERA in a season. He also won the NL Cy Young Award for the second straight year.

The Giants won the NL West Division by 22 games, easily making the playoffs with a 104-58 record. The Giants faced the New York Mets in the NLDS, with Verstappen starting Game 1, allowing two runs and earning a no-decision, as the Giants won the game 3-2. The Giants beat the Mets in the series 3 games to 1. The Giants faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, with Verstappen slated to start Game 2 on the road. He only allowed one run against the Braves, earning the victory and giving the Giants a 2-0 series lead. However, the series returned to Atlanta with the Giants leading 3-2. The Giants lost Game 6, necessitating a Game 7, with Verstappen getting the start. Verstappen went through one of the toughest games of his career, allowing 13 hits including a 3-run homerun by Burton Starkey, and having his slider and changeup inconsistent throughout the whole game. Despite allowing five runs during the game, the Giants still won the game 8-5, with Verstappen earning the victory, thanks to an offensive boost by Ryan Howard and Mark Reynolds.

Verstappen started Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, with the Giants having a 3-1 series lead going into the game. Verstappen pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and one run off a homerun of Blaine Nielson. Although Verstappen left the game with a 2-1 lead, and the Giants extended the lead with a run in the top of the eighth and ninth innings, the Yankees tied the game due to a three-run homerun by Mark Teixeira. Despite this, Arnulfo Medeiros got an RBI in the top of the tenth inning, and the Giants held on to win 5-4. Kerry Wood, despite allowing Teixeira's homerun, still earned the win, while Gabriel Guerrero earned the save. Verstappen had a 3.16 ERA during the playoffs, pitching 25 2/3 innings while getting 25 strikeouts.

2016

Verstappen got off to a good start, allowing only one earned run in his first two starts. His third start against the Dodgers in April 16 was revealing, as Verstappen allowed four runs in the game, the first time that occurred in years. Verstappen would eventually get a no-decision on him. Verstappen would nearly pitch a complete game against Milwaukee on May 7, but would be pulled from the game with one out after allowing a hit. San Francisco eventually lost the game, drawing ire from various news sources on the offence's clutch ability. The Giants were still playing well, maintaining the lead of the NL West throughout the month of May.

Verstappen suffered an unusually poor form in the first half of the season. He allowed four runs against the New York Mets on April 22, five runs against Arizona on April 27, five runs against Houston on May 2 and two runs against Milwaukee on May 7. Verstappen later went five innings, allowing three earned runs against Arizona on May 24, but later pitched a complete game against them on June 4. On June 9, Verstappen struck out 13 in six innings against Philadelphia, but still lost the game 2-0. Verstappen was seen criticizing the team after not giving him run support, but later apologized for the outburst. Verstappen allowed two more runs against Baltimore on June 15 and two more against Boston on June 20, before pitching a complete game against the Yankees (allowing one run) on June 26. His final two games before the All-Star break were positive, as he allowed only one run each against the Rockies on July 2 and the Braves on July 7, nearly pitching a complete game. Despite this good run of form, the Giants did not lead when he was pulled in those games, thus not recording the win. He still went to the break at 9-1, and while still barely leading the team in ERA, it was at a career high at 2.28.

The second half of the season was much better statistically for Verstappen. He pitched three straight no-hitters in the month of August, against the Dodgers on August 6, the Brewers on August 11, and the Reds on August 17. This helped bring his ERA down to 1.90, a career high but still impressive considering he led the league in ERA. Verstappen also went 20-1 during the season, and won the NL Cy Young Award for the season, helping the Giants win the NL West Division with a 100-62 record. Verstappen said that he was thankful for getting his ERA down below 2.00 during the season.

The Giants faced the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round of the MLB Playoffs. Verstappen started Game 1, despite having started another game just four days earlier. He pitched six innings in the game, striking out eight batters en route to a 3-1 victory, but the biggest highlight was scoring a homerun off Brewers pitcher Rolf Orr during the fifth inning, batting left. The Giants eventually won the series 3-0. The Giants faced the Atlanta Braves in the second round, with Verstappen starting Game 3. Verstappen pitched well, striking out eleven in 6.2 innings, but allowed four runs and earned a no-decision as the Giants lost 8-6. The Giants eventually won the series 4-1, advancing to the World Series facing against the Yankees, a rematch of the World Series last year. Verstappen started Game 3, but allowed 7 runs in what is considered to be his worst outing ever as a Major Leaguer, as the Giants lost that game 8-5, and eventually lost the series 4-3 despite holding a 3-2 lead going into the final two games. Verstappen said after the series that he "wasn't too worried" about not winning his game, and that he promised he would aim for another title next season.

New York Mets: 2017

Before the season started, on November 15, Verstappen was traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Felix Hernandez. Both players were on a contract year when they were traded. The move caused lots of shock across both teams, as Verstappen had previously said that he planned to spend his entire career at San Francisco. Verstappen said that he was "stunned" by the trade, but still planned to play for the Mets for the upcoming season.

In the first game of the season for the Mets on April 3 at Citi Field, Verstappen took a no-hitter to the ninth inning. (A perfect game was not possible since an error was allowed in the second inning.) After striking out the first batter and grounding out the second, Verstappen allowed a single by Elvis Andrus on a 0-2 pitch. The Mets won the game 3-0, and Verstappen was quoted after the game that if the Mets played the way like they did that night, the team "will go long ways for the season." When asked if he had anything against Elvis Andrus, he said, "I have nothing against him. He plays to get base hits, and he did just that tonight. I wouldn't want it to happen any other way." An ad for MLB 2K17 was made shortly after the no-hit bid, in which Verstappen plays a no-hitter in the video game. He says in the ad, "Much better than real life." In his next game back on April 9, Verstappen nearly pitched a complete game (as he had three hits going into the bottom of the ninth) against the L.A. Dodgers, but allowed three straight hits with two out and ended up earning three runs. The Mets still won 5-4 despite allowing 4 runs during the 9th inning.

Verstappen pitched his first complete game shutout of the season against Florida on April 21. Five days later against Pittsburgh, Verstappen lasted only 4 innings. Verstappen claimed after that game that he was "tired" after his shutout. He didn't pitch until April 30 when he pitched 0.2 relief innings in the top of the 9th inning in a 16-0 blowout loss to Cincinnati. Verstappen called the outing "very bizarre" and had his next start held out until May 2nd. He pitched another shutout against the Atlanta Braves, and again against the Washington Nationals on May 7th, being the first to pitch two straight complete games in years. He pitched well through the rest of May, leading the league in WHIP and ERA during this time. Verstappen then pitched another complete game shutout on June 14 against Boston.

Verstappen pitched well into July, continuing his winning streak, which was overshadowed by his low ERA during the season. He was named to another All-Star Game, getting the start for the National League and pitching two scoreless innings in what would become a loss for the NL. He went to 13-0 for the season before losing his first game of the season against Philadelphia on July 21, and his first in the regular season since June 9 against Philadelphia as well. He rebounded with a stellar 9 strikeout performance against Atlanta on July 27. Before that start, Verstappen made it clear that he did not want to be traded to a third team before the July 31 deadline, ending trade rumours for Verstappen for the last place Mets. Verstappen's form continued into August, as he pitched into at least 8 innings for four straight games, including a complete game against Atlanta on August 17. Despite pitching well, his commitment was questioned when he told the press about "moving back to the Netherlands the minute I retire," in response to the Trump administration and their policies. He later clarified by saying that he meant that he was still willing to pitch in baseball as long as possible, and was only frustrated at the protests and the racism occurring inside America, admitting that he would have "considered other sports" if the level of violence in America was the same as it was when he got drafted in 2010.

Verstappen faced against his old team, the San Francisco Giants on August 22, in a highly publized matchup. Verstappen was off his game slightly, as he allowed 2 runs in six innings, but the Mets still won 5-2. Verstappen took the time after the game to thank all the Giants fans by signing "everything in sight" for the sellout crowd that night. After that game, the Mets turned around their form and went 22-13 to finish above .500, but unfortunately the Mets finished 3 games back of the NL Wildcard race. Verstappen ended the year with a 1.01 ERA, his second best in his career, and won the NL Cy Young Award again.

Chicago White Sox: 2018-2021

2018

Despite many pleas from the Mets to stay at the end of his contract, Verstappen admitted that by September, he had no intention of staying in New York. After fielding offers from Philadelphia and the Yankees, Verstappen signed a 5 year, $100 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. His #9, retired by Minnie Minoso, would not be used for the first time in Verstappen's career. Verstappen was given #41 during spring training as a placeholder, but he decided to stick with the number, saying that #9 was another number given to him. He also said that he turned down a similar contract offer from San Francisco, citing the way he was traded from San Francisco to New York in 2017.

Verstappen started out well, nearly pitching a complete game in his White Sox debut, but had it broken up with one out in the top of the ninth against Minnesota. He nearly did it again against Tampa six days later, but again had the complete game broken in the ninth inning. That game ended up being stretched to the 14th inning, but the White Sox won that game. Verstappen then finally got a complete game against Cleveland on April 14. Verstappen gave up 6 earned runs during the month of April, although he took a rare loss on April 20, oddly enough, against Cleveland. His remarkable form continued through May, generally giving up only one run during a game. He ended up pitching a complete game on June 1 against Minnesota, pitching only 69 pitches in the process. Verstappen pitched another complete game on June 30 against the LA Angels.

Verstappen continued his form and got the start for the American League in the All-Star Game. The Chicago White Sox went on a long winning streak in August, winning 13 straight to get themselves in the hunt for the AL Central lead. Verstappen pitched a complete game against Kansas City on August 16, pitched to the 9th inning on August 21 against Minnesota, and pitched another complete game against Texas on August 27, this time doing so in 66 pitches. Overall, the White Sox went 22-5 during the month of August, and pulled 12 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the lead in the AL Central, en route to clinching the division with a week to go in the season.

The month of September was good for Verstappen; a rare loss against Minnesota on September 2 (despite pitching seven innings) and again allowing one run against Detroit on September 8 (the first time Verstappen lost two straight games in his career), ensured that Verstappen would lose more than twice in a single season since 2014. Verstappen would end the season with four straight wins, including two complete games against Minnesota on September 19 and Baltimore on September 29, bringing his season totals to eight complete games. Verstappen led the league in strikeouts, ERA, wins, shutouts, and WHIP during the season.

The first round of the playoffs had the White Sox face the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Verstappen started Game 1 of the series on only three days rest, but still managed to pitch seven innings allowing one run en route to a 9-3 win for the White Sox. However, the White Sox lost the series to Boston three games to two.

2019

Verstappen's 2019 season started off with a 5-0 start in five straight games, as well as a no-decision on April 29 against Kansas City to end the month undefeated. After a loss against the Red Sox on May 4, Verstappen won against Tampa Bay before losing again to the New York Yankees, despite pitching seven innings. Verstappen then pitched two straight complete games, first on May 22 against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing one hit. The second was away against the Oakland Athletics, when Verstappen had carried a perfect game into the eighth inning.

Verstappen continued his elite form throughout the entire 2019 season, not posting a loss for the rest of the season. He finished with a 23-2 record, leading the league in ERA with 1.03, and posting another season with over 200 strikeouts. His most notable highlight of the season came on September 17, 2019, when he pitched a 10-inning perfect game against the Detroit Tigers, becoming the first player to pitch a 10-inning perfect game, and the first perfect game since Matt Stinson in 2014. The White Sox easily reached the playoffs, finishing with the best record in the league at 109-53, a whopping 36 games above second-place Detroit.

In the playoffs, Verstappen found himself struggling in form, contrary to his regular season form. In the ALDS against the New York Yankees, Verstappen allowed a run in the second inning, and then would give up two hits before being pulled from the game, which both ended up becoming earned runs. Verstappen lost the game 3-1, but the White Sox won the series 3-2. Verstappen started Game 1 of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox, a 2-1 victory in 6 innings of work. Verstappen then started Game 6 of the ALCS, which he pitched for just over seven innings, before being pulled as the game was tied. The White Sox lost that game as well, but won the ALCS 4-3, despite being up 3-0 early in the series, and facing the risk of blowing the series lead. Verstappen started Game 4 of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves, which started out positively for the White Sox as they won the first two games of the series, only to drop Game 3. Verstappen would give up a two-run homerun while pitching for 7 1/3 innings, a positive result for Verstappen, but ultimately ended up becoming a loss for the team, his second loss in the post-season. The White Sox would end up losing the World Series 4-2.

2020

Verstappen started the season in dominant fashion - he did not lose a single decision in the month of April and May. He pitched complete games against Cleveland on April 17th, Oakland on April 29th, and Toronto on May 9th. On May 31, Verstappen pitched a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Tropicana Field - his second career, being an error and a walk away from a perfect game. Verstappen pitched another complete game, this one against Oakland on July 5th. Verstappen continued his undefeated streak through the All-Star Break, going 15-0 with a win against Minnesota on July 18th, which included a three pitch inning in the 6th, and 11 strikeouts overall. Verstappen eventually improved to a 20-0 start before taking his first loss against Minnesota on August 20, courtesy of a homerun in the first inning. Verstappen pitched seven innings and allowed only three hits in the loss. During the rest of the season, Verstappen maintained his ERA below one, despite having a run of three straight games with no decision on August 31, September 6 and September 11. Another loss followed against Boston on September 28, with Verstappen's earned run only coming in the eighth inning after he was pulled from the game. Overall, Verstappen finished the season with a 24-2 record, but did not win the Cy Young, given that Carlos Mercado, the setup pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, amassed a 30-9 season with the team.

2021

Verstappen got out to another great start in 2021, winning all five of his starts in April and winning six straight, before a no-decision against Detroit on May 11th. He pitched a two-hit complete game against Toronto on May 16th, doing so on 67 pitches. In June his form wavered somewhat, with a no-decision on June 11th against Florida, three earned runs against Washington on June 17th, and five earned runs against Cleveland on July 17th. Nonetheless, Verstappen still started the season at 15-0 until his first loss of the season against the Yankees on July 23rd. He threw 10 strikeouts in the game against the Royals on August 7th. Verstappen continued to win throughout August, and continued his streak into September, pitching 9 strikeouts against Texas on September 4th and the Royals on September 10th. Despite this, Verstappen would take a loss against the Royals, even though only one run was scored on an error by Asdrubal Cabrera, while the Royals pitcher pitched a 1-hit game against the White Sox. Verstappen achieved his 200th career win against the Athletics on September 16th. Verstappen finished the season at 25-2, once again leading the league in ERA, and the White Sox won the AL Central Division.

The first playoff game was against the Red Sox in the ALDS, and Verstappen pitched 8 innings with a career best 12 strikeouts as the White Sox won Game 1, en route to a 3-0 sweep of the Red Sox. In the ALDS against the Texas Rangers, Verstappen started Game 3 and also went 8 innings, striking out 10 times as he helped carry the White Sox to a 3-0 lead heading into the ninth. The White Sox blew the save, however, but the team still won 5-4 in extra innings. The White Sox ended up losing the series to the Rangers 4-2, losing all three of their home games in the process. After the season, Verstappen opted out of his contract with the White Sox and became a free agent.

Washington Nationals: 2022-present

2022

Verstappen signed a 5-year, $124.75 million contract with the Washington Nationals, who had won the NL East the previous season. The deal also included a $50 million dollar signing bonus, by far the largest handed out to a player in MLB history. Verstappen stated his desire to move on to compete for a World Series, despite the chemistry he had with the White Sox, holding no grudges against the team. He started out the season positively, even though he had four no-decisions out of six games to start the year. Verstappen pitched a complete game on May 8th against the Mets, and another against the Cubs on May 19th. Verstappen was able to maintain an undefeated record of 9-0 in 18 games before the All-Star break. He extended his streak to 10-0 before taking his first loss against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 20th, a tough six inning outing. He won against San Francisco before a loss against Atlanta in a 1-0 game. Verstappen had a career high three hits as a batter, scoring two RBIs in the process as he also pitched 7 innings against the Rockies on August 27th. Verstappen hit his first career double against the Marlins on September 25th, en route to another victory. He finished the season with two complete games against the Mets on September 19th and October 1st.

In Game 1 of the NLDS against Cincinnati, Verstappen pitched a career high 14 strikeouts as the Nationals won the game, en route to a 3-1 series victory. They faced off against the Phillies in the NLCS, when Verstappen pitched to the eighth inning in Game 2, striking out 7, and pitched to the eighth inning as well in Game 7, striking out 8, as the Nationals beat the Phillies in 7 games. They face against the Yankees in the World Series, where they swept the series to win their first World Series since 2017, leaving Verstappen without a pitching performance in the series.

Career Stats

Year League Team GP W L ERA GS QS CG SO IP H R ER HR BB K WHIP Win %
2010 AA Richmond (SF) 31 10 4 1.62 24 17 0 0 166.1 141 32 30 3 10 118 0.91 0.714
2011 AAA Fresno (SF) 30 13 6 1.90 30 24 0 0 194.0 190 41 41 11 2 176 0.99 0.684
2012 MLB San Francisco 31 12 5 1.31 31 16 0 0 178.2 143 27 26 13 11 156 0.86 0.706
2013 MLB San Francisco 33 15 7 1.32 33 20 0 0 204.1 147 30 30 9 17 209 0.80 0.682
2014 MLB San Francisco 34 15 4 1.26 34 24 2 2 214.1 122 32 30 9 24 209 0.68 0.789
2015 MLB San Francisco 33 24 1 0.76 33 27 3 2 223.2 141 21 19 7 8 230 0.67 0.960
2016 MLB San Francisco 33 21 1 1.90 33 28 4 1 237.0 183 54 50 14 32 206 0.91 0.955
2017 MLB NY Mets 34 21 2 1.01 33 31 4 3 241.0 156 30 27 2 18 215 0.72 0.913
2018 MLB Chicago WS 33 22 3 0.93 33 32 8 6 251.0 157 27 26 6 17 259 0.69 0.880
2019 MLB Chicago WS 33 23 2 1.03 33 31 5 5 237.0 171 31 27 9 19 223 0.80 0.920
2020 MLB Chicago WS 33 24 2 0.93 33 31 5 5 240.2 155 25 25 6 16 226 0.71 0.923
2021 MLB Chicago WS 33 25 2 1.06 33 31 4 4 254.2 153 36 30 12 23 219 0.69 0.926
2022 MLB Washington 33 19 2 0.93 33 31 5 4 241.0 167 27 25 5 4 218 0.71 0.905