Inside the at-bat that won Justin Verlander his first World Series game
PHILADELPHIA — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander knew the stakes.
He had stepped up to the mound on Thursday for Game 5 of the World Series with plenty to prove. Winless in seven career games in the Fall Classic, he had just blown a 5-0 lead in Game 1 of this series, a game in which many believed manager Dusty Baker left him in too long. He had a 6.07 ERA in World Series games, almost three runs higher than his career average. On top of all that sat the very real possibility that this would be his last start in an Astros jersey.
And then, on his second pitch of the game, Verlander gave up a leadoff home run to Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber. After losing that Game 1 lead — and now giving up an early homer — even a veteran like the 39-year-old Verlander was shaken.
“It just sucks because of the moment and obviously all the questions and weight,” he said. “But you have to rely on the hundreds of starts and the thousands of pitches I’ve thrown before, and just kind of say, ‘OK, I’ve given up leadoff home runs before, let me bear down.'”
Through four innings, Verlander had labored but survived, and he had a 2-1 lead as the fifth inning — an inning he’d have to complete to be eligible for a win — began. After two quick outs, Bryce Harper lined a double to right. That’s when Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos stepped into the box.
Verlander’s pitch count was approaching 90. It was his third time through the order. This time, the bullpen was active. This would be a defining moment for the future Hall of Famer.
“I was considering, after the Bryce double, whether Dusty was going to leave me in there or not,” Verlander said after the Astros’ 3-2 win. “I wasn’t sure. I was thankful for the opportunity, and thankful to come through.”
But it wouldn’t be easy.
“I thought my third at-bat against Verlander was my best of the series,” Castellanos said after the game.
The Phillies slugger had been slumping in this World Series, just 2-for-16 in the first four games, but was in the midst of his best night at the plate — even if he had little to show for it. His at-bats against Verlander were getting better and better. A first-inning fly out was followed by a third inning, 105 mph line drive that was caught by shortstop Jeremy Pena. Now Castellanos stepped to the plate with the tying run on second in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park. The next few seconds would be high drama.
“I don’t think JV would’ve wanted it any other way,” teammate Alex Bregman said. “Those big situations, having to make big pitch after big pitch — that’s Justin Verlander. He makes big pitch after big pitch.”
During the regular season, Castellanos ranked fourth in baseball in swinging strike percentage, but on this night, he wasn’t missing. He kept fouling off pitch after pitch.
Verlander threw everything in his arsenal, beginning with sliders and fastballs, eventually moving on to a rare changeup. That pitch was hammered down the left field line — but foul.
“We could have gone a number of ways,” pitching coach Josh Miller said. “He emptied the tank and threw all of his stuff to Nick there.”
After a line drive that almost landed fair in left, catcher Martin Maldonado took a slow walk to the mound. Verlander had thrown seven pitches to Castellanos, and the count was 2-2. “It’s a big situation right there,” Maldonado said. “I want to make sure we both agree on the same pitch.”
They didn’t.
Verlander wanted to throw a curveball; Maldonado wanted to throw “something else.” His pitcher won the debate.
“Nick had, to me, looking back at Game 1, probably the at-bat of that game,” Verlander said of the two-out single that scored the first run of the Phillies’ rally against Verlander in the series opener. “Here, I find myself on the verge of a ballgame again with him up and just wanted to — just really wanted to get him out.”
Verlander threw the pitch he wanted — twice. But Castellanos took one for a ball and fouled the second curveball off.
Finally, for the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Maldonado went back to the slider. It wasn’t perfect — it might have caught too much of the plate — but it was effective. Castellanos hit a lazy fly ball to left. The inning was over.
“I just missed it,” Castellanos said. “This is a game of centimeters. If I’m on top of that ball a little bit more, we’re in a different situation for the rest of the game.
“I was doing my best to stay relaxed and try to barrel up something. I almost did.”
Verlander escaped. And by doing so, he earned his first win in the World Series, after the Astros held the Phillies to just one more run in a 3-2 victory. The relief was all over Verlander’s face after his outing — and in the long embraces he gave Baker after that at-bat, as well as Chas McCormick after a game-saving home run robbery in the ninth inning.
“They gave me the rookie treatment after the game,” Verlander said. “They put me in the cart and rolled me in the shower and just doused me with all sorts of stuff.
“It was one of the best feelings in my career.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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