GOOCHLAND No need to wait for The Next Verlander in area baseball.

He's here.

Goochland High School pitcher and third baseman Ben Verlander is the 16-year-old brother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, who rose through Tuckahoe Little League, Goochland High and Old Dominion University on the way to major-league mounds and the 2006 American League rookie-of-the-year award.

"Every game I play, somebody's asking me if I'm Verlander's brother," said Ben Verlander, a Bulldogs sophomore.

Ben is a steady, two-way contributor for Goochland, who was batting .366 with eight RBI heading into this week's activity. As a pitcher, he is 4-0 with a 1.12 ERA and two saves. But, at least at this stage, he is not projected as a first-round draft choice, which his electric-armed older brother was in 2004 (second player taken overall).

For this, Ben need not apologize.

But, as Ben is so often reminded, he has the distinctive last name that's so familiar in these parts.

"It's a big shadow to be in," said Goochland coach Wes Farkas. "Small community. Everyone knows your name, especially when it's Verlander."

And "Verlander" behind Ben can make life more challenging than it should be for a player just trying to adjust to his first season of varsity baseball. Understandably, folks want to see if The Next Verlander can throw nearly 100 miles an hour, as Justin does. Ben's heater these days checks in at about 83 mph.

"He has given us some good starts," Farkas said of Ben. "Really good control. Doesn't walk batters. Not overpowering. He gets a strikeout here and there, but he just hits the [spots]."

That's a nice review of a high school pitcher, especially a sophomore. But Ben is a Verlander. Much is expected. The 6-2 160-pounder spoke this week of "having the pressure to live up to what [Justin has] done. It's there, but I can't let it get to me. I'm my own person. What he does can't affect me."

Ben swears he wouldn't rather be a Jones or a Johnson, just some anonymous 16-year-old aiming, without that big shadow, to help his team win.

"I love having the last name Verlander," he said.

That has its advantages. Yes, Ben has a bunch of high-quality, hand-me-down gear from Justin, who's 25 and in his third season with Detroit. There are no other children in the family. Yes, Ben has attended many major-league games, including a World Series. Justin started two games for the Tigers in the 2006 World Series, won by St. Louis. Yes, Justin helps Ben with his pitching during the offseason.

"He likes to give me some hitting tips, too, but I don't know about all that," Ben said of Justin, who is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts as a big-league batter.

The Next Verlander? Ben's here. Justin's there. Different orbits, but each seems to be doing fine.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.