Goochland native and ODU alum Justin Verlander, a three-time Cy Young winner and the 2011 American League MVP, announced on Wednesday that he will retire after the 2026 season.
Verlander, 43, is the oldest active player in MLB, and the age – and wear and tear from 556 starts and 3,571 big-league innings – is finally showing.
Verlander has made just one start in 2026 for the Detroit Tigers, who signed him to a one-year, $13 million deal in the offseason, and that was way back on March 30.
ICYMI
Commissioner Rob Manfred named Verlander to the American League roster for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game as a Legend Pick.
“This season has challenged me in ways I haven’t experienced before, both physically and mentally,” Verlander said in a statement posted to X. “I’ve always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d 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 realized that time has come. While I’m fully committed to giving my team everything I have for the rest of this season, I’ve decided this will be my last. It’s fitting that I get to finish where it all started – with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.”
“Baseball has given me more than I could have imagined,” Verlander said. “It taught me discipline, resilience, and the value of continuing to adapt and evolve. I’ve been fortunate to play with and against incredible players, for outstanding organizations, and compete in-front of fans who deeply appreciate the game.
“It’s time for the next chapter. But first, I’m excited to finish this season the only way I know how – with everything I’ve got.”
Verlander has a career 266-159 record, 3.33 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
His 2011 season, in which he was both AL MVP and the Cy Young winner, had him with a 24-5 record, 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
His other two Cy Youngs came after his move to Houston, in 2019 (21-6, 2.58 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, a career-high 300 Ks) and 2021 (18-4, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP).
After posting a 0.38 ERA as a prep at Goochland, Verlander matriculated at the college level at ODU, where he was 21-18 with a 2.58 ERA in three seasons – he had 7-6 records in each of the three – with 427 strikeouts in 334.5 innings.
That was enough to make him the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft by the Tigers; he made his Major League debut in 2005, and was a 17-game winner for Detroit in 2006.
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Chris Graham
