Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander was selected in the first round with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion University. While at Old Dominion he set the school strikeout record with 427 strikeouts in 335 innings pitched, which amounts to 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Upon singing with the Tigers he pitched one season in the minors before earning his call to the big leagues in 2005. In his first full season in Detroit in 2006 he posted a stellar 17-9 record with a 3.63 ERA in 30 starts, earning him the American League Rookie of the Year award. He followed that up with 18 wins in 2007, which earned him his first trip to the All-Star game. Since that time he has been one of the premier starters in the major leagues, earning six All-Star selections, leading the league in wins twice in 2009 and 2011, and leading the American League in strikeouts in 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2011 he won the pitching Triple Crown after leading the American League with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings. Verlander signed a five-year, $80 million contract in 2010, and signed a seven-year, $180 million contract in 2013, making him the highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball history.