Just when you thought Houston Astros' starting pitcher Justin Verlander couldn't get any better, his ERA (the average number of earned runs scored against a pitcher over nine innings) has dropped from 3.17 to 2.99 in 2019.

By contrast, the Cleveland Indians' ERA for all their starting pitchers is 4.11. That number needs to come down.

Another number we'd like to see lowered is the cholesterol number for U.S. kids and teens.

According to a study published in JAMA, only half of children and adolescents are in the ideal range — HDL cholesterol greater than 45 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol less than 110 mg/dL — and 25% are in the clinically high range.

Having problematic cholesterol numbers as a kid or teen is a precursor to having plaque buildup in the blood vessels. And that can cause cardiovascular disease before they're even in their 40s.

Why the high numbers? Obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in five school-age children is obese.

Luckily, both weight and dangerously high LDL levels can be brought down with exercise and a nutritious diet.

So help your kids by making sure they avoid saturated and trans fats, added sugars and syrups, and refined and processed grains, and that they get 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily (three days every week should be vigorous).

It won’t even be that if they put down their electronic devices and just throw the ball around or ride a bike for a while.