Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Purely dominant. That best describes Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander’s season, which surely will net him his first AL Cy Young award and might be good enough to earn him the AL MVP award.

It already has earned him Sporting News’ 2011 Player of the Year honors. In voting by 289 major league players (177 players from the AL, 112 from the NL), Verlander was the first pitcher to win the award since the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser in 1988.

In the second consecutive installment of the “Year of the Pitcher,” Verlander stood out among even his most dominant peers. “He’s had one of the best seasons for a pitcher. Ever,” New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia said.

The 28-year-old Verlander led the majors in wins (24), strikeouts (250), opponents’ batting average (1.92) and WHIP (0.92), and he led the AL in ERA (2.40). He also tossed his second career no-hitter on May 7.

Verlander wasn’t as effective in the postseason, but he still provided stretches of dominance while facing two of the toughest, deepest lineups (Yankees, Texas Rangers) in baseball.

“He’s pretty incredible,” Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said after Verlander struck out 12 New York batters in the ALDS. “He’s throwing 100 mph in the eighth inning. That’s impressive. I don’t know if there’s anyone else in baseball, especially a starter, that can do that.”

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WRITTEN BY Anthony Witrado/ Sporting News & FULL STORY HERE