Add The New York Post on Google Justin Verlander and Kate Upton have been an iconic celebrity couple for years, and one of their funniest moments came after Verlander narrowly lost the 2016 AL Cy Young race.
Nearly 10 years later, Upton’s reaction to her then-fiancée’s loss remains memorable.
“Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f–k @JustinVerlander ?! What 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballot?” Upton wrote after Verlander lost to Rick Porcello by five points.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts hosted Verlander on his podcast recenlty as the star pitcher heads toward retirement at the end of the season, and asked about Verlander’s reaction to Upton’s NSFW tweet.
“I was doing MLB Network, they had the three finalists on the air, and as soon as it came out, she was firing,” Verlander said on the “On Base with Mookie Betts” podcast.
“And so we finished the interview and I go down, and 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.
Porcello beat Verlander — then with the Tigers and now also finishing his career with Detroit — for his first and only career Cy Young award 137-132.
The five-point difference was the second-closest of any election since voters could add multiple pitchers to a ballot beginning in 1970.
Verlander was not listed on two ballots, but received more first-place votes than Porcello.
As Verlander noted, Upton’s rant didn’t stop with the first tweet.
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and his wife Kate Upton pose for a photo as they celebrate after Game 4 of the ALCS, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, at Yankee Stadium. The Astros defeated the Yankees 6-5 to sweep the series and win the ALCS. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post “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,” read the next tweet.
“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,” she continued.
Verlander is set to make the final start of his career Saturday at home vs. Pittsburgh.
