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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 on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (David Rodríguez-Muñoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“This season has challenged me in ways I have not experienced before, both physically and mentally. I have always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I would continue to play. 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 past few months, I have realized that the time has come,” Verlander said in a social media post.
“While I am fully committed to giving my team everything I have for the remainder of this season, I have decided that this will be my last. It is fitting that I can end where it all began: with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.”
Verlander signed a one-year contract with the Tigers during the offseason, with whom he spent his first 12 and a half seasons before being traded to the Houston Astros. There he dominated again, winning his two 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 deeply 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, November 5, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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“To every teammate, coach, player, clubhouse attendant and fan who has been a part of this journey, thank you. It has been a privilege to share the field with you. To my family, especially my wife Kate, thank you for being by my side through every season, every rehab and every up and down. I couldn’t have done this without you. 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 have.”
Verlander is the active leader with 3,554 strikeouts, which ranks eighth all time. He needs 21 to surpass Don Sutton and 87 to surpass 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 four other times, consistently near the top of the rankings in almost every pitching statistic. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred granted Verlander a Legend exemption for this year’s Midsummer Classic, making him a 10-time All-Star.
You could argue that Verlander should have at least one more Cy Young Award under his belt, but he’s still on the fast track to Cooperstown and very much in the conversation to join Mariano Rivera as the only player 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 a 0.829 WHIP. However, that came after he missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery for an injury he suffered after pitching just one inning in the shortened 2020 season.
Verlander throws 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 also received the MVP award, and his second in 2019. Verlander’s 11 seasons between his first and last Cy Young Awards are the second most behind Roger Clemens, who had 18 seasons between his first and seventh.
Verlander led the majors in innings and WHIP four times and recorded the most strikeouts in three seasons.
