On September 26, Justin Verlander will climb the Comerica Park mound for the last time. The Tigers confirmed Tuesday that the 43-year-old right-hander will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in what amounts to the formal closing of a 21-season career built on 266 wins, 3,554 strikeouts — eighth all-time in MLB history — and three Cy Young Awards. Detroit is already out of the playoff race, so this start carries no standings weight. It carries historical weight.
How Verlander Got Here
The last time Verlander appeared in a regular-season game was March 30, 2026: five earned runs over 3⅔ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by an IL stint for left hip inflammation and, later, a hamstring tear on the same side. For months, his season — and his career — looked finished.
Then on September 12, he threw a bullpen session and reportedly touched 93 mph with his fastball. Manager A.J. Hinch liked what he saw. Speaking to reporters at Rate Field in Chicago on September 20, Hinch was straightforward:
«We’re targeting Saturday. We have to be mindful of what he needs to do to get there, and he’s responded to every test. We’re going to ask a little more of him in a midweek bullpen. But I think it’s important to be transparent about what our plans are and where he is.»
The start is still conditional — if anything comes up between now and Saturday, the plan changes. Hinch said it in pencil, not ink. That matters.
The Numbers That Lead to Cooperstown
Verlander finishes with 82.3 career bWAR, ranking 24th among all players in MLB history. His 3,554 strikeouts leave him just 21 shy of Don Sutton and seventh all-time — a gap one start won’t close, but a résumé that never needed the extra number anyway.
- Three Cy Young Awards — 2011, 2019 and 2022
- 2011 AL MVP
- Three no-hitters
- Ten All-Star selections
- Two World Series rings — 2017 and 2022
Verlander was Detroit’s second overall pick in the 2004 draft. He returned to Detroit this past February on a one-year, $13 million deal to close the loop where it all started. Commissioner Rob Manfred named him the 2026 All-Star Game’s Legend Pick — an honor previously given to Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw, all Cooperstown-bound. The signal is hard to miss.
When Verlander announced his retirement on July 8, he explained it this way:
«I always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I demand of myself, I would keep playing. I never wanted to retire for a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.»
The game spoke. Saturday, he answers.
How Detroit Is Saying Goodbye
The Tigers have organized two days of celebration at Comerica Park on September 25 and 26, with the Pittsburgh series as the backdrop. Friday brings a Verlander bobblehead for fans in attendance; Saturday, a long-sleeve hoodie. Detroit is one loss away from being mathematically eliminated, which makes Saturday’s start a purely ceremonial act.
Purely ceremonial — and that’s exactly what makes it matter. There’s nothing on the line except the last memory Verlander leaves on the mound of the city where he began. Comerica Park watched him pitch as a rookie in 2005. It will watch him pitch one final time, 21 years later. No playoff game can arrange that.
