Justin Verlander recognizes he isn’t pitching like a true co-ace early into his New York Mets tenure. 

“I’m not paid the way I’m paid — and I don’t expect — to pitch like that,” Verlander recently told Newsday’s Tim Healey. “Right now it’s too hard. It’s like having to grind for every out. Nothing is coming easy. Not that anything is ever easy, but when I’m right, it’s a whole hell of a lot easier. I’m not just OK being mediocre or subpar. It’s not in my DNA. I’m going to work harder than anybody on the planet to fix it.” 

Verlander signed a two-year, $86.66M deal that includes a vesting third-year option to join the Mets in December but largely hasn’t performed to the price of that contract in multiple ways. The three-time Cy Young Award winner dealt with a low-grade teres major strain (strained shoulder) that prevented him from making his official Mets debut until May 4, and he’s lacked consistency and dominant stuff while healthy. 

Verlander began Tuesday responsible for a 2-3 record with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP across seven starts and 39.0 innings of work. He realizes such production is not good enough for a Mets team once advertised to be a World Series contender that now heads into a midweek two-game stretch against the New York Yankees at 31-35. 

“I know when I’m right,” Verlander explained. “So it’s like, I know this isn’t right. I know what’s happening isn’t right, so I need to find it. OK, let’s try this, try it, try it, try it, try it, pitch — [expletive]. Try, try, try, try, try — oh, maybe! And then another start later, OK, that wasn’t quite it. Back to the drawing board.” 

The fourth-place Mets enter Tuesday’s matchup against the Yankees trailing the first-place Atlanta Braves by nine games in the National League East standings. It’s difficult to envision the Amazins closing such a gap without Verlander finding his form beginning with Wednesday’s start at Citi Field.

“I think I’m trending in the right direction,” Verlander remarked.