vote on November 16, becoming the 11th pitcher in MLB history to win three Cy Young Awards. It was the second time Verlander was a unanimous choice for the award (receiving every possible first-place vote). New York Mets (2023–present) On December 7, 2022, Verlander signed a 2-year, $86.7 million contract with the New York Mets, with a $35 million vesting option for 2025. At a $43.3 million average annual value, the contract matches the record for highest AAV in MLB history with teammate Max Scherzer's contract signed during the 2021 offseason. Pitching style Verlander throws four pitches: a hard four-seam fastball averaging 94–95 mph (topping out at 102), a slider in the mid-to-high 80s, a 12–6 curveball around 80, and a changeup at 85–88 mph. His four-seam fastball has an "elite" spin rate of over 2500 rpm according to Statcast, giving it a late "tailing" action that cuts inside to righties and away from lefties. He often uses his four-seam fastball up in the zone to hitters. This has allowed him to strike out more batters with that pitch than any other. His slider has evolved throughout his career. In his early years, his slider was in the mid-80s with a larger break. However, in recent years, Verlander has added velocity to his slider. This change has caused a later, sharper break that has led many to believe it is actually a cutter, although Verlander has denied this on various occasions. In 2017, Verlander began to incorporate both sliders. He usually throws the slower, longer slider under the hands of lefties, and the sharper, faster slider down and away to righties. His 12–6 curveball has always been a dominant pitch that buckles hitters' knees at any point in the count. He also intentionally uses this pitch up in the zone at times to freeze hitters or throw off their timing. Since the 2016 season, Verlander has essentially become a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, slider, curveball). His changeup has been used almost exclusively against left-handed batters in recent years, and its usage has dropped considerably. The changeup accounted for 8.5 percent of his pitches in 2016, only 4 percent of his pitches in 2017, and less than 2 percent of his pitches in 2018. Verlander is known for his unusual ability to "add" and "subtract" from his fastball velocity at any point in the game, giving him the ability to throw it