DETROIT (WXYZ) — After pitching for just over two decades, Justin Verlander will retire as a Tiger at the end of the 2026, he announced on social media.
"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally," Verlander said in part. "I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect for 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."
"From the moment Justin Verlander rejoined our organization, the entire baseball world was reminded just how much he means to this city," the Detroit Tigers said in part in a statement. "While it is bittersweet that 2026 will be the final season of his playing career, we look forward to celebrating his extraordinary legacy alongside our fans over the coming months."
Justin Verlander has also been named to the American League All-Star team for the 10th time in this career, with the Tigers announcing that he'll be honored as the American League Legend Pick in this year's Midsummer Classic.
This is Verlander's eighth All Star nod as a Tiger, surpassing Miguel Cabrera on the franchise history list. Verlander is behind only Al Kaline (18) and Bill Freehan (11) in Detroit history.
Verlander has only appeared in one game this season, pitching 2.3 innings and allowing six hits and five earned runs in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30. Verlander went on the injured list five days later with Left Hip inflammation, and hasn't appeared in a game since. He signed a one-year, $13 million guaranteed contract to rejoin the Tigers this off-season, including $11 million in deferred payments starting in 2030.
The right-hander is the fourth Tiger named an All Star this season, joining rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle, catcher Dillon Dingler and outfielder Riley Greene.
Verlander won two World Series titles with the Houston Astros, pitched for the Tigers in the World Series in 2006 and 2012, and has won the AL Cy Young three times (2011 and 2012 with Tigers, 2019 with Astros). He won the pitching Triple Crown in 2011, leading the American League in Wins, Strikeouts and Earned Run Average.
Verlander spent the first 12-plus years of his major league career (2005-17) with the Tigers, helping lead the club to two World Series appearances (2006 and 2012) and four straight playoff appearances (2011-14). In Detroit, he was named an All-Star six times, the first nod coming in 2007 and then again for five seasons in a row (2009-13). Verlander has 3,554 strikeouts (eighth most in MLB history), a 3.33 career ERA and 266 career wins.
After being traded to the Houston Astros in August 2017, Verlander closed that regular season by going 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts to help lead the Astros to their first-ever World Championship that season. That postseason, he was named 2017 ALCS MVP.
Verlander joins Don Newcombe as the only two players in major league history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young honors throughout their careers. He is one of only three pitchers to ever win at least three Cy Young awards and he rejoins the Tigers ranked second in franchise history with 2,373 strikeouts (behind the late Mickey Lolich), second with a 56.6 WAR as a pitcher (behind the late Hal Newhouser), seventh with 183 wins and eighth with 2,511.0 innings pitched.
