Justin Verlander’s name popped up in All-Star news on Wednesday, but the bigger headline came right after.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Detroit Tigers right-hander was selected as a “Legends Pick” for this season’s All-Star Game. He won’t pitch in the game, but MLB still named him an All-Star this year.
Not long after that announcement, Verlander delivered the news that will define the rest of his career: the 2026 season will be his last. He said he plans to retire from Major League Baseball when the season ends.
“... 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,” Verlander writes. “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.”
That means Verlander is heading into his 21st big league season, and his 14th with the Tigers, knowing it will be his final run.
The 43-year-old is currently on the injured list, and his only start this season was a rough one: five runs allowed in 3.2 innings at the start of the year. Even so, that line barely dents what he has built over a Hall of Fame career.
Across 556 games and 3,571.1 innings pitched, Verlander has piled up 82.3 bWAR, 266 wins, a 3.33 ERA, nine shutouts, and 3,554 strikeouts.
His resume also includes an MVP award, three Cy Young Awards, Rookie of the Year honors, 10 All-Star selections, and two World Series championships.
“It’s fitting I get to finish where it all started - with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity,” Verlander said.
The Tigers took him No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLB Draft, and he grew into one of the sport’s defining pitchers. After stops with the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants, Verlander says he’ll try to come back during the 2026 season first.
“But first, I'm excited to finish this season the only way I know how - with everything I've got.”
When he becomes eligible, Verlander is expected to reach the Hall of Fame in five years. For now, though, the focus is on one last season - and then one final goodbye.
In Other News...
Tigers Finally Have A Flaherty Trade Prospect Worth Watching Again
When the Tigers sent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers in 2024, the return looked like the kind of deal that would need time to sort itself out. Trey Sweeney has not given Detroit much to celebrate so far, but Thayron Liranzo is starting to change the tone around that trade package, and his progress has put him back on the radar as one of the more interesting young names in the system.
Liranzos path has not been smooth, with injuries and personal tragedy helping drag down a season that pushed him off multiple top-100 lists. Even so, the catcher has shown enough improvement to earn another look on a bigger stage, and his renewed attention gives the Tigers at least one reason to keep watching the Flaherty deal with fresh eyes. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Make Sudden Coaching Change Amid Growing Baserunning Scrutiny
The Tigers made a notable coaching adjustment in the middle of the season, with A.J. Hinch saying third base coach Joey Cora has left the organization and Billy Boyer is stepping into the role right away. Boyer had been working in the clubs system as quality control coach and minor league infield coordinator, so this is a familiar internal move rather than a hire from outside the building.
The timing adds weight to the change, coming as Detroits baserunning has drawn more attention and the club continues to look for cleaner execution on the margins. Cora had also been handling infield instruction, and Boyer is expected to take on those responsibilities as well, giving the Tigers a broader shift in how that part of the staff is organized moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Baseball America Just Delivered A Brutal Reality Check On Tigers Prospects
Baseball Americas midseason farm system rankings delivered a sharp reminder of how quickly a prospect pipeline can lose its shine. Detroit slid to No. 22, an 18-spot drop from where it stood before the season, with the decline tied to a mix of injuries and the natural churn that comes when top talent moves up the ladder.
The Tigers have already watched Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee graduate from the system, and the depth behind them has been thinned by a wave of injuries across the organization. Even with Max Clark and Bryce Rainer still among Baseball Americas top-100 prospects, the ranking underscores how much pressure is now on the rest of the farm to rebound and restore some of the luster that made Detroits system so highly regarded not long ago. [Read more 🡒]