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One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history will hang up his cleats after this season.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander announced Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last.
In the midst of an injury-plagued season with the Detroit Tigers, Verlander decided it was time to leave.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander watches from the dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (David Rodriguez-Munoz/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“This season has challenged me in ways I haven’t experienced before, both physically and mentally. I’ve always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I would keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time. Over the last several months, I’ve gotten on social media,” the social media said. mail.
“While I am fully dedicated to giving my team everything I have for the rest of this season, I have decided that this will be my last. It is only fitting that I get to finish where it all began – with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.”
Verlander signed a one-year deal with the Tigers during the offseason, with whom he spent his first 12 1/2 seasons before being traded to the Houston Astros. There he returned to dominance, winning both of his World Series titles and two of his Cy Young Awards.
“Baseball has given me more than I could have imagined. It taught me discipline, resilience and the value of continuing to adapt and evolve. I have been fortunate to play with and against incredible players, for outstanding organizations and compete in front of fans who appreciate the game,” Verlander added in his announcement.
Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros celebrates on the field after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston, Texas. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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“To every teammate, coach, player, clubhouse assistant and fan who has been a part of this journey – thank you. It’s been a privilege to share the field with you. To my family, especially my wife Kate, thank you for standing by me through every season, every rehab, and every high and low. I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s time to end this season, but I know how to end the first season – but I know how to end this chapter. everything, what I have.”
Verlander is the active leader with 3,554 strikeouts, which is good for eighth all-time. He needs 21 to pass Don Sutton and 87 to pass Tom Seaver.
The 43-year-old made his MLB debut in 2005 and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award the following season in what was just a small glimpse of what was to come.
Verlander was a Cy Young Award finalist on four other occasions, consistently near the top of the rankings in nearly every pitching statistic. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred granted Verlander a Legend’s waiver for this year’s Midsummer Classic, making him a 10-time All-Star.
One could argue that Verlander should have at least one more Cy Young Award on his mantle, but he’s nonetheless on the fast track to Cooperstown and very much in the conversation to join Mariano Rivera as the only players unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame.
Verlander’s best season came in 2022, when he pitched to a career-best 1.75 ERA along with an .829 WHIP. However, that came after he missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery for an injury he suffered after pitching one inning in the game-shortened 2020 season.
Verlander delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during the MLB ALCS baseball playoff series in Detroit on October 16, 2012.
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He won his first Cy Young Award in 2011, when he was also awarded the MVP award, and his second in 2019. Verlander’s 11 seasons between his first and last Cy Young awards is second only to Roger Clemens, who had 18 seasons between his first and seventh.
Verlander led the majors in innings and WHIP four times while striking out the most in three seasons.
