The Houston Astros have signed right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander to a three-year contract, which begins this season and runs through the 2021 campaign. The announcement was made today by Astros President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jeff Luhnow.

“Justin Verlander is one of the elite pitchers in baseball,” said Luhnow. “His late-season arrival in 2017 helped the Astros deliver its first ever championship to the city of Houston. Our fans share in my excitement that Justin will be in an Astros uniform for at least three more years.”

Verlander, 36, put together one of the most dominant seasons of his outstanding career last season, finishing second in the Cy Young voting after leading or finishing at the top of the leader boards among American League starters in several significant categories. He led all Major League pitchers in WHIP with an 0.90 clip, which marked the third-lowest number for an AL starter in the last 50 seasons (min. 175 IP). Additionally, Verlander led the AL in pitching WAR (6.8), strikeouts (290), opponent on-base percentage (.242), strikeout to walk ratio (7.78) and road wins (12-2), and was second in innings pitched (214.0). He also ranked third in ERA (2.52) and opponent batting average (.200).

He enters the 2019 season as the Astros Opening Day starter, which will be his 11th Opening Day assignment, his second consecutive with the Astros. In Major League history, only 14 pitchers have made 11 Opening Day starts, including nine Hall of Famers.

The seven-time All-Star (2007, 2009-13, 2018), 2017 ALCS MVP, 2011 AL Most Valuable Player, 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner and 2006 AL Rookie of the Year has pitched 14 seasons in the Majors with the Tigers (2005-17) and Astros (2017-18) in his illustrious career. He owns a career 204-123 (.624) record with a 3.39 ERA (1039ER/2759IP), with 24 complete games, eight shutouts and 2,706 strikeouts in 419 starts. He enters the 2019 season ranking 23rd all-time in strikeouts, immediately trailing Cy Young (2,798) and Frank Tanana (2,773).

Verlander is one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all-time, having gone 13-7 (.650) with a 3.19 ERA (54ER/152.1IP) and 167 strikeouts in 25 career postseason appearances (24 starts). He ranks fourth in postseason wins and strikeouts all-time in MLB history.