Justin Verlander is about to make his 20th season in the major leagues. At the same time, he was adapting to a new challenge: his first spring training in Arizona.

A veteran of the Florida Grapefruit League, Wieland is about to make his first experience of the Arizona Cactus League after signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants last month for $15 million.

"I just got here yesterday," Wieland said Wednesday ahead of the first practice session for the Giants' pitchers and catchers at Scottsdale Stadium, "and I'm a little bit lonely right now, I don't really know the people here." Adapting to the new environment and understanding the situation here will be a challenge. ”

"I didn't even realize he had never been here," said Robbie Ray, who worked with Wieland in Detroit in 2014, "and I talked to him and said 'Camel Peak,' and he said, 'I know the mountain, but I don't know where it is.'" ”

At the very least, the number on the back of his new Giants jersey will feel familiar to him, and Wieland will continue to wear his usual number 35. The decision wasn't easy to make, given the number's deep ties to the team's iconic Brandon Crawford. When Wieland first signed with the Giants, he had some hesitation about using the number, but after a phone call between the two, Crawford agreed that the three-time Cy Young Award winner should use it.

"I just want to make sure that I'm handling this in the right way," Wieland said, "and it's really important to get his permission." ”

Wieland has long worn the number 35 jersey as a tribute to his childhood idol and Hall of Fame powerhouse, Frank Thomas. He said he couldn't imagine wearing a jersey with another number as he continued to chase a historic milestone like 300 career wins.

"[Baseball President] Buster Posey (Buster Posey) said, 'It would be great if you could win your 300th win in a Giants jersey,' and that has always stuck in my mind," Wieland said, "and I said to my wife, 'What if it happens?'" If it did, I think I'd just be wearing the number 35 shirt. ”

Wilander, who turns 42 on Feb. 20, now has 262 career wins, and is likely to be the last pitcher in a long time to have a realistic chance of making it to a 300-win club. A high-performance season with the Giants could help him get closer to that goal, and Wilander is confident in himself as he feels he's got rid of the neck and shoulder injuries that plagued him in 2024.

"I think it's definitely the best time I've felt in the last few years," Wieland said, "2022 was the last time I was healthy and progressive, and the last few years have been really tough. I'm feeling good now. ”

Last year, Wieland started 17 games for the Astros and had a career-worst ERA of 5.48. But just two years ago, in 2022, he won the Cy Young Award for the third time, and that season he went 18-4 in 175 games and had a 1.75 ERA. He said he has learned a lot from dealing with the recent spate of injuries and believes he has made the necessary adjustments to stay fit and perform well again this year.

"When I'm trying to adjust my pitching moves, it's almost impossible for me because my body is dragging my feet," Wieland said, "and now I'm in the physical shape I want it to be and I'm looking forward to seeing how that works on the pitcher's mound." The results I've seen in my training in the barn have been so impressive, so I've never been more optimistic in the last few years. ”

Wieland, who has reached 92 miles per hour in the bullpen training in the offseason, said he felt great during his most recent training session of throwing 50 balls. He's expected to join Logan Webb and Robbie Ray as the Giants' starting rotation, and he could bring more value to the team this year by coaching young starting pitchers like Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp.

"He's the kind of guy who can fight against time, and he's been that way for a long time," said team manager Bob Melvin, "partly because of his quality as a pitcher and the confidence he has." Based on his career, he certainly has the capital of self-confidence. I think he's confident and steadfast in his performance on the pitch. If he stays healthy – even last year, some of his starters were outstanding. We really rely on him and he knows that. ”