Justin Verlander’s career has been full of big stages, but Monday’s pre-Home Run Derby show in Philadelphia gave him a chance to revisit two of the most memorable ones.
With David Ortiz and Derek Jeter sitting alongside him, the Tigers pitcher looked back on the final at-bats he shared with both stars before they retired. Verlander, who was recently named a Legends pick to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game and then announced he is calling it a career, told the story in vivid detail.
“Your last season, you got that last at-bat, you and I got to face off. I threw you a heater up and in.
You just missed it. You hit a 700-foot pop-up.
You looked at me. I was walking off the mound.
You looked at me, we made eye contact, and we knew. Like ‘I got you, barely, but I got you.' and that was fun,” Verlander said, addressing Ortiz.
He had a similar memory ready for Jeter.
“Then Jeet, I know you remember, your last season, I came up and asked you if I could just get anything from the game, game-used. First at-bat, fastball in, shattered your bat, and you're running down the first base line, yelling at me, ‘that's why I'm retiring.'
After the game, you sent me the bat. You had it all taped up, probably bad on purpose.
So that bat comes over, all taped up, ‘to Justin, this is why I'm retiring, Derek Jeter.'”
Ortiz did have the better of Verlander more often than not during their matchups. He went 12 for 35 with two home runs and four RBIs against the Cy Young-winning pitcher. Jeter also handled him well, going 14 for 36 with four walks and a home run.
Verlander won’t be on the mound Tuesday night at the All-Star Game, but he will still be honored after finishing his last season with the Tigers. Eventually, his next stop is expected to be Cooperstown, New York, where he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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For Detroit, it is the kind of pick that fits the drafts back end: a pitcher with real bat-missing ability and room to be developed. Lanes season was not spotless, but the strikeout numbers stood out enough to keep his name in the conversation, and now the Tigers get a chance to see whether that foundation can translate into something more in pro ball. [Read more 🡒]