Justin Verlander: What 10th Straight Win Would Mean for Detroit Tigers Ace

Justin Verlander will be going for his 10th straight win on Tuesday night and 23rd overall—both unheard-of feats nowadays.

He will be attempting this in Chicago against the White Sox, the team that is most likely Detroit's biggest threat.  Even though Chicago is tied for second place in the division, it's hard to call them a "threat."

They are 11.5 games back of Detroit, and their elimination number is down to five.  Even though it's technically not impossible, there is no way the White Sox (or Indians for that matter) are going to catch the Tigers.

Detroit basically has the AL Central wrapped up, as they currently have the second-largest division lead in baseball, only half a game smaller than the Phillies' lead in the NL East.

Verlander will be going up against Gavin Floyd tonight, who hasn't been great but has been solid throughout the year.

If Verlander does win tonight, it will be his 23rd, pushing him near the top of the MVP talks.  With the Cy Young all but wrapped up, MVP would now be a realistic possibility.

With both early front-runners Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez cooling off, Verlander's chances seem to be more and more legit every time he wins.

It will just be up to the voters and whether or not they really want to see a pitcher win the award.

Most voters say that a pitcher does not deserve the award, but there have been a few who say that Verlander can be the exception.

If he does get his 23rd tonight, it would basically wrap up an AL Central title and Verlander would become a serious MVP contender.

What he does in the playoffs could have an impact on the voters as well.  If he continues his dominance in the postseason, it could potentially sway the voters.  The Tigers will likely either face the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays in the first round, and shutting those teams down would be amazing.

If Verlander completely shuts out New York or Boston on national TV, the voters who say a pitcher doesn't deserve MVP may rethink that idea.

With Rick Porcello and Brad Penny struggling so much for the Tigers in the second half, Detroit may also think about using only a three-man rotation.

With teams having to face Verlander, Fister and Scherzer, the Tigers could realistically reach the second round.

If Verlander is the reason the Tigers make the ALCS, he could potentially be the front-runner for the MVP.  Helping your team get far into the playoffs is the definition of an MVP.