Verlander for MVP? There's a case to be made

Forget about the Cy Young Award ? Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander is building a case to be the American League?s Most Valuable Player.

If he wins his next start on Saturday at Minnesota, he would become the first pitcher to reach 20 wins before September since Curt Schilling in 2002. Besides wins, Verlander leads the A.L. in strikeouts, batting average against and WHIP. No player has meant more to his team's success in the A.L., considering how much help Curtis Granderson has been for the New York Yankees and Adrian Gonzalez and others for the Boston Red Sox.

"The best pitcher in baseball," a veteran scout who covers the Tigers said of Verlander. "As good as Doc (Halladay) is, he's not close to Verlander right now. His stuff is that good. He's throwing any pitch anywhere he wants in any count."

A fastball that regularly reaches the high 90-mph range is the main reason behind Verlander's big year. "Most pitchers work inside and outside," the scout says. "He can go up, down, in and out. There's not many pitchers who can make good hitters look bad. He's doing it regularly."

The scout raises an interesting point regarding the postseason. The A.L. East winner likely will face the Tigers in the Division Series, which means they would see Verlander twice unless one team swept. "You might want to finish as the wild card," the scout says.

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