"Justin Verlander punched me a lot" - Mike Trout shares why legendary ace is a tough matchup for him

An eleven-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout has 404 big league home runs and 1,018 total RBIs to his name.

Naturally, when such a formidable hitter steps to the plate, it is usually cause for concern for the man on the mound. However, some pitchers have shown over the course of their careers that they are unfazed, even when facing one of the best sluggers in the modern game. One such player is legendary ace Justin Verlander.

As Mike Trout admitted during his appearance on "The Sports Card CEO" podcast on Wednesday, facing Justin Verlander has always been a tough matchup for him, due to his fantastic ability of locating pitches perfectly.

"He (Justin Verlander) got me out a lot, he punched me a lot. He's a guy that'll be like 93, 94, you know, early in the count. Then, when he gets to two strikes, [he will] just dial it up, and he can locate." "I think nowadays, people are pushing for velo and less location. When you see the good pitchers, who can locate with all their pitches, I think for me, that's the toughes. The guys that throw harder, that can't really locate, they're going to give you something to hit. So, Verlander was up there," Trout said [30:00]

A nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young award winner, Justin Verlander has enjoyed a tremendous big league career. Though he is still playing at the moment, the ace's future induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is seen as a foregone conclusion.

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Mike Trout lists Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom as two other aces that have given him a lot of trouble over the years

In the same podcast, Mike Trout was also talked about two other pitchers that he has had a tough time against over the years - Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom.

"First off, it's gotta be [Max] Scherzer. When I faced him in Detroit, it seemed like everyday I would face him in like a day game in Detroit, early game. He would throw them up, shoot fast balls at a hundred, and it was tough," Trout said [29:45] "[Jacob] DeGrom's up there, because he can just throw five or six fastballs, or three sliders in the same exact spot. I mean, if you just put a target on the outside corner of the plate, he's hitting it every single time. If you chase, he'll go an inch or two farther. He never really comes inside, he's just all the way," Trout added [31:32]

Mike Trout walks back to the dugout after striking out - Source: Getty

Just like Verlander, both Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom have also won the prestigious Cy Young award multiple times in their careers.

Edited by Raghav Mehta