Justin Verlander: The End of a Great Career

Pascal Harvey
Justin Verlander: The End of a Great Career
Credit: MLB.com

First of all, I'd like to express my gratitude to my colleagues for allowing me to write this piece marking the end of Justin Verlander's career. The game between the Tigers and the Pirates took place early yesterday afternoon, and this recap of that historic game could have been published much earlier.

Ever since I started contributing to Passion MLB, I've had unexpectedly good timing when it comes to this future Hall of Famer. In the end, it makes you wonder if Verlander's starts were, for the most part, scheduled on weekends just so I could write about him.

Over the years, I've come to appreciate the athlete for who he is: a proud representative of his generation. A true warrior who faced adversity head-on without flinching and was constantly striving to surpass himself.

Justin Verlander, at 43, brought an end yesterday to a masterful 21-season career in the major leagues.

It was his daughter Genevieve, running onto the field, who reclaimed her dad's full-time presence in her life during the sixth inning of the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tigers manager AJ Hinch certainly wasn't going to miss that moment either. Like a true gentleman, he let the hero of the day share his emotions with his daughter.

In his final career start, the veteran impressed the crowd at Comerica Park by pitching five and one-third innings while striking out six batters. He gave up home runs to Brandon Lowe and Jacob Gonzalez.

The Pirates were leading when Verlander was pulled, but his teammates gifted him the win with a comeback and a three-run ninth inning. Verlander didn't earn the win, but he didn't take the loss either. The Tigers won 4-3.

Following yesterday's game, the Tigers' No. 35 has 3,560 strikeouts to his credit, placing him eighth in Major League history. Right behind him is Max Scherzer of the Toronto Blue Jays. The other veteran pitcher will take the mound today against the Cincinnati Reds, hoping to surpass Verlander and move up a spot in the record books.

Scherzer will have his work cut out for him, as he trails Verlander by 10 strikeouts this morning. That means the Jays' No. 31 will need to strike out 11 Reds batters in what could be his final career game.

Unlike Verlander, who had made his intentions clear quite some time ago, Scherzer has yet to confirm whether he plans to continue his career beyond this season. At 42, he is one year younger than the recently retired Verlander. If he fails to reach his goal this afternoon but finds a team for next season, Max Scherzer could surpass Justin Verlander in 2027.

Justin Verlander has had a brilliant career, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2006, an MVP award in 2011, and three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2019, 2022). He has also won two World Series titles.

His career record stands at 266-159.

He is certain to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and he will wear the cap of the Detroit Tigers, the team with which he began and ended his illustrious career.

Notably, Kirby Yates, who made his first career start yesterday, announced that he was retiring after this historic moment.

PMLB
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Created by humans, assisted by AI.

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