Justin Verlander Recounts Kate Upton's Fiery Reaction to His 2016 Cy Young Loss

Justin Verlander, the veteran pitcher nearing the end of his career, has shared his memories of his now-wife Kate Upton's strong reaction to his narrow loss in the 2016 American League Cy Young Award voting. Upton's outspoken social media posts at the time, questioning the integrity of the voters, have become a memorable moment in celebrity sports lore.

Verlander, appearing on Mookie Betts' podcast "On Base with Mookie Betts," recounted the events of the 2016 announcement. He was participating in an interview with MLB Network when the results were revealed. Upton, who was his fiancée at the time, quickly took to Twitter. "Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f–k @JustinVerlander ?! What 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballot?" she posted.

Verlander described his reaction upon finishing his interview: "She’s like, ‘You’re not going to like it.’ And sure enough, she had fired off a bunch of stuff, and she had another one preloaded, ready to go." He added, "And I’m like, ‘Kate, stop!’"

The 2016 AL Cy Young race saw Rick Porcello narrowly defeat Verlander by a margin of 137 to 132 points. This five-point difference was the second-closest outcome since voters were allowed to select multiple pitchers starting in 1970. Verlander's exclusion from two ballots contributed to the close result, despite him receiving more first-place votes than Porcello.

Upton's frustration extended beyond her initial tweet. She continued to voice her displeasure, questioning the selections of the voters. "He had the majority of 1st place votes and 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballots?!! Can you pick more out of touch people to vote? @MLB," she tweeted next. She further elaborated, "Sorry Rick but you didn’t get any 1st place votes? You didn’t win. #ByeFelicia @MLB keep up with the times and fire those writers."

Verlander is reportedly preparing to make the final start of his career later this season.