In case you missed it, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander will make the last start of his illustrious career on Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Recently, Verlander explained what went into the retirement decision and why he’s ultimately deciding to hang up the cleats at 43 years old.
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Why is Justin Verlander Retiring?
In a recent appearance on Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ podcast for BleacherReport, Justin Verlander shared some insight on why he is deciding to call it quits on his Hall of Fame career:
“I’ve said for my entire career, I want to play till the wheels are falling off. You know, here it goes. The wheels are falling off.”
JV has been sidelined for the majority of the 2026 season with various injuries, so it makes sense why he thinks his body just can’t do it anymore.
He originally dealt with a hip injury that set him back, and after it was thought he would return to the mound for the Tigers, JV endured more injury setbacks during rehab.
On Tuesday of the final week of the regular season in MLB, Verlander threw a successful bullpen, which led to his final start announcement.
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Taking a Quick Look at Justin Verlander’s Illustrious Career
You could write a 5-page essay on the greatness of Justin Verlander, but I will keep it short here by listing out some of the SEVERAL accolades he was awarded during his Hall of Fame career.
These accolades are courtesy of JV’s Baseball-Reference.com page, which, if you have not checked it out, I highly recommend:
MVP, 3X CY Young, 10X All-Star, 2X World Series, 2X ERA title, Rookie of the Year, pitching Triple Crown (2011), ALCS MVP.
Now to some of his statistics:
266-159 pitching record, 3.33 career ERA, 556 starts, 3571.1 total IP, 3554 strikeouts, 82.3 pWAR, 128 ERA+, WHIP: 1.136.
It’s been a pleasure to watch Justin Verlander’s greatness, and all wishes are well for his upcoming retirement, which he certainly earned.
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Justin Verlander Reveals Reason Behind Retirement Decision