Why Justin Verlander Will Lead the Detroit Tigers to the World Series

Justin Verlander, currently the best pitcher in the major leagues, has what it takes to lead the Detroit Tigers to the Major League Baseball World Series this season.

Not only is Verlander having a Cy Young Award-caliber season, he is also one of the main leaders on the talented Tigers roster.

Here are four ways in which the ace will lead the AL Central-leading Tigers to the World Series.

Stamina

Justin Verlander has nearly every trait that a baseball team wants in its staff ace: excelling at pitching deep into ball games.

In every one of his 32 starts this season, Verlander has pitched at least six innings and thrown at least 104 pitches. That ability becomes even more important during the playoffs because he can give the bullpen valuable rest when he is on the mound.

On Monday night against the Chicago White Sox, Verlander went seven shutout innings while only giving up six hits. He said after the game that he hasn't felt better pitching in a while.

That is a great sign for the Tigers as they enter the last stretch of the regular season.

Variety of Pitches

In the past, Verlander relied heavily on his blazing fastball to get hitters out.

Consistently clocking over 97 miles per hour on the radar gun, it often had enough movement and speed to get hitters out. However, show a major league hitter a fastball enough times and he will hit it eventually, no matter how fast it is.

In the last couple of seasons, and especially this year, Verlander has shown the rare ability to command four of his pitches for strikes.

Having the ability to throw any pitch to a hitter in any count, and have that pitch get over the plate for a strike, is one thing that makes Verlander so good.

Keeping hitters guessing goes a long way towards pitching successfully against any team. Carrying that ability into the MLB playoffs only improves Detroit's chances of making the World Series.

Streak-Stopping Ability

In the playoffs, a losing streak of just three games is enough to knock a team out of the running for a championship. Having a pitcher capable of stopping losing streaks for his team in invaluable.

If the Tigers find themselves with a loss or two in a playoff series, they will be able to almost always rely on Verlander to get them a win. At the very least, he will give his team a great chance of winning.

With Verlander probably throwing at least twice in a playoff series, the Tigers will have a great chance of getting deep into the playoffs and making the World Series.

Veteran Leadership

Even when Verlander is not on the mound for the Tigers, he is able to provide the veteran leadership that every World Series team needs.

Verlander has been to the Series before and will be able to help the younger pitchers and position players deal with being in the playoffs.

In the 2006 season when the Tigers made it to the World Series, Verlander started 30 games and won 17 of them. In the postseason, he started four games and struck out 23 batters.

Even though the Tigers lost that World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, Verlander gained the invaluable experience of being in the playoffs and will be able to transfer some of that experience to the rest of the roster.