The Yankees enter Friday in a tight race with the Orioles in the battle for the top spot in the AL East, while their most recent fiercest rivals, the Astros, are in the basement of the AL West. But Justin Verlander who saw the Mets disappointment firsthand last season, when the team with giant expectations and an even bigger payroll fell far short of expectations and traded away its stars like Verlander and Max Scherzer said he doesnt expect the same fate in Houston. You can look at the track record with the same group of guys here, Verlander said of the Astros run of succe s, which includes trips to the ALCS every year since 2017. The Mets didnt have that track record. They were good the year before [in 2022], but not for seven years in a row. If youre looking for a reason to be more hopeful than last year, Julian Merryweather Jersey thats one thing I could point towards. If anyone can do it, we can. Justin Verlander reacts dejectedly after walking Anthony Rizzo during the Yankees win over the Astros on Tuesday. Corey Sipkin for New York Post The Astros, though, have looked nothing like the team thats dominated the American League for much of the past decade other than the fact that Jose Altuve is still putting up good numbers and is the player Yankees fans love to hate as one of the last remaining members of the scandal-scarred 2017 World Series-winning team. Among the i sues is the pitching staff, which entered Thursday with the third-worst ERA in the majors, the second-worst WHIP and the worst WAR, according to FanGraphs. Explore More Theyve dealt with an underperforming bullpen, an injury-stricken rotation, and giving up seven runs and three homers in one of his ugliest performances in years. Were in the thick of it right now, the right-hander said before the on Thursday night in The Bronx. Weve got to fight it. We have great guys in here, but we need to put it together on the field. Despite the bad month, Verlander said hes not looking to go through a repeat of last years trade deadline, when he was shipped to Houston. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Were upbeat in here and have the belief were gonna turn it around, Verlander said. We had the same attitude last year [with the Mets]. That didnt change until Steve [Cohen] decided we were going in a different direction. That stuff is above my pay grade, and I didnt start to pay attention to all that last year until the dominoes started falling. And hes also aware the Yankees appear to be a more fearsome foe than they were in 2023, when they mi sed the postseason. He got his first glimpse at the new-look offense this week. Those guys let me know Im not all the way back, said Verlander, who has made four starts since he mi sed the early part of the season with shoulder inflammation. But, look, baseball is better when the Yankees are playing well, he said. Its no secret how great an addition [Juan] Soto is, and with him and [Aaron] Judge, you have two of the best hitters in baseball together, and thats tough to navigate. Verlander also noted how the Yankees rotation has withstood the absence of Gerrit Cole, out while rehabbing from elbow inflammation. Thats been impre sive, how some young guys and others that have been around a little bit have risen to the challenge, Verlander said. You need a lot of different guys to win, and thats what were trying to get back to. Ron Cey Jersey