Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander has been named the American League Player of the Week for the week of April 9-15. This marks the seventh career American League Player of the Week award for Verlander and his first since the 2012 season.

During the week, Verlander posted a 1-0 record and a 0.60 ERA (1ER/15IP) in his two starts. He fanned 20 in his 15.0 innings pitched, while allowing just five hits and two walks for an opponent batting average of .100 (5x50) and on-base percentage of .151. During the week, Verlander led the American League in strikeouts and in innings pitched. He earned his win last Monday at MIN, tossing 7.0 scoreless frames in an Astros 2-0 victory. He made his second start of the week last night vs. TEX, holding the Rangers to one run on one hit in 8.0 innings.

Verlander is off to a great start in 2018, posting a 2-0 record and a 1.35 ERA (4ER/26.2IP) in his first four starts of the season. He enters today ranking second in the AL in strikeouts (34), trailing only teammate Gerrit Cole (36), second in innings pitched (26.2) and fifth in both ERA and in WAR for pitchers (1.0).

His 2018 success continues a magnificent run with the Astros, as Verlander has posted a 7-0 record and a 1.19 ERA (8ER/60.2IP) in nine regular season starts since being acquired by Houston on Aug. 31, 2017. By doing so, he is the second pitcher in franchise history to begin his Astros career with seven consecutive winning decisions, joining right-handed pitcher Roger Clemens, who began his Astros career 9-0 in 2004.

This marks the seventh career weekly award for Verlander, as he won the AL Player of the Week award for the weeks of May 22-28, 2006, June 11-17, 2007, May 2-8, 2011, June 13-19, 2011, Sept. 12-18, 2011 and Sept. 24-30, 2012. Three Astros won AL Player of the Week awards in 2017, George Springer (May 29-June 4), Jose Altuve (July 3-9) and Carlos Correa (Sept. 25-Oct. 1).

In recognition of his American League Player of the Week award, Verlander will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.