Scherzer, Verlander ready for winning reunion

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The first time Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were together on a Major League roster, Verlander was 27 years old, Scherzer was 25, and life looked different. In the time between, Scherzer and his wife have had four children -- most recently a daughter, Nikki, born last month. Verlander married supermodel Kate Upton and had a daughter of his own. Scherzer has won three Cy Young Awards and a World Series ring; Verlander’s haul includes three Cys, an MVP and two titles.

Now, after more than eight years apart, the former Tigers teammates are back together on the Mets.

“We’re in a different stage of our careers, and more important, we’re in a different stage of our lives,” Scherzer said Wednesday. “Things will definitely be different now.”

Then he added: “I really don’t see that being an issue whatsoever.”

“That” was an allusion to Scherzer’s past history with Verlander, including an oft-rumored schism between the two in Detroit. Whatever happened back then, whatever differences the two may have had, neither believes those will harm their relationship now.

To the contrary, both seem genuinely curious -- if not downright excited -- to be together again. They lunched together on Tuesday, before reuniting Wednesday for the first day of pitcher and catcher workouts at Clover Park.

“Hey, it makes your ballclub better,” Scherzer said of the addition of Verlander on a two-year, $86.7 million contract, which matched his own league-record $43.3 million average annual value.

“I’m really looking forward to being together with him again,” added Verlander. “I think we could both look back at our time in Detroit together -- we had such an incredible team and weren’t able to achieve the ultimate goal. So hopefully, reunited here, we can achieve that.”

More than simply getting along, Scherzer and Verlander believe they can learn things from each other. They are each surefire Hall of Famers with different strengths and pitching philosophies, but perhaps -- as Mets manager Buck Showalter suggested -- more similarities than differences. From afar, Scherzer has marveled at Verlander’s ability to transform his slider from an afterthought to one of baseball’s most potent pitches. Verlander has watched Scherzer evolve at least as much, growing from a fastball-slider specialist to a bona fide five-pitch master.

Now leading the rotation in Queens, Verlander and Scherzer face parallel challenges: most notably, how to remain dominant at an age when most of their peers have either fallen off or retired. Verlander is set to turn 40 on Monday. (His wife, Upton, recently threw him a memorable surprise birthday party in Miami, including a cabaret show and an oversized cake). Scherzer will be 39 in July. Since last crossing paths, the two have independently tried to unlock secrets of longevity.

In Verlander’s case, 2020 Tommy John surgery did little to derail his long-term outlook; he returned last summer to deliver one of the finest seasons of his career: 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA, the American League Cy Young Award and a World Series title. Scherzer wasn’t quite so fortunate, suffering multiple left oblique injuries that limited him to 145 1/3 innings, but he remained an elite pitcher when healthy.

Both worked out at the same Florida gym this offseason, albeit on diverging routines that prevented them from interacting much. Now, they are in the same clubhouse, on the same program, just a few lockers apart. If either manages to find the mythical Fountain of Youth, he can clue in the other.

Goodness knows, both men are trying. Verlander smiled Wednesday when a reporter compared him to Tom Brady, who recently retired from the NFL at age 45. As an alternative, Verlander suggested the career arc of Jamie Moyer, who lasted in the Majors until age 49. It’s clear that Scherzer thinks similarly, even if he’s not suggesting it quite so overtly.

“You’re always one injury away from never pitching again,” Scherzer said. “I realize that. I’m lucky to have made it this far. To continue to pitch, it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of things to go right.”

Scherzer added that his goal is to win a World Series, which is another thing he shares with Verlander. Independently, they’ve both already achieved it. Together, they’re only augmenting their chances to do it again.