Justin Verlander Ends 21-Year Career With Six Strikeouts in Final Tigers Start

Justin Verlander closed his 21-year Major League career with one last competitive start on Saturday, September 26, striking out six over 5 1/3 innings before the Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Eduardo Valencia’s two-run walk-off homer at Comerica Park.

The 43-year-old right-hander had made only one previous appearance this season and entered the finale after six months away from a major league mound. He still reached 95 mph and kept Detroit in the game, allowing two solo home runs before an emotional sixth-inning exit with his family joining him on the field.

Verlander finds one last burst of vintage form

Verlander retired the first four Pirates he faced and struck out Oneil Cruz with a slider for the 3,555th strikeout of his career. Rookie Konnor Griffin followed with a single, but catcher Dillon Dingler erased him trying to steal second.

The fastball that defined so much of Verlander’s career was still there when he needed it. He reached 95 mph to strike out Henry Davis in the third inning, then beat Ryan O’Hearn with a 94.4 mph heater. Brandon Lowe ended the shutout bid with a solo homer in the fourth, and Jacob Gonzalez added another solo shot in the fifth.

Between those home runs, Verlander retired five straight hitters and struck out three of them. He returned for the sixth and retired Lowe on a foul pop before manager A.J. Hinch walked to the mound.

A family farewell at Comerica Park

Before Verlander handed over the ball, his seven-year-old daughter Genevieve ran to the mound and embraced him. His wife and children accompanied him off the field as teammates gathered around and “J.V.” chants filled the stadium.

The moment completed a farewell weekend that had already included Genevieve throwing a ceremonial first pitch to her father on Friday. Verlander had announced in July that 2026 would be his final season, but a lingering hamstring injury left uncertain whether he would be able to make this last start.

Tigers finish the day with a walk-off

Detroit gave the afternoon a final flourish three innings later. Down to its last strike in the ninth, the Tigers won when Valencia drove a two-run homer for a 4-3 victory.

Verlander retires with 266 wins, a 3.33 career ERA and 3,560 strikeouts, the eighth-highest total in MLB history. He made 557 career starts across two stints with Detroit and also pitched for the Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

His résumé includes three Cy Young Awards, the 2011 American League MVP Award, two World Series championships and three no-hitters. Yet his final appearance ended not with another individual prize, but with a family embrace and a Detroit win — a fitting last chapter for one of the defining pitchers of his generation.