Justin Verlander closes 22-year career as Tigers walk off against Pirates
The short version
- Justin Verlander, 43, has retired after 22 MLB seasons
- His final game was a 4-3 Tigers walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Daughter Genevieve ran onto the field and embraced him after his final pitch
- Career honors: 2 World Series titles, 2011 AL MVP and Triple Crown, 3 Cy Young Awards, 3 no-hitters
- He pitched for the Tigers, Astros, Mets and Giants, earning $411.2 million
The 43-year-old right-hander ended his MLB run with a 4-3 Detroit win over Pittsburgh, greeted on the field by his young daughter after the final pitch.
Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander has appeared in the final game of his major league career. The 43-year-old pitched his last outing as the Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on a walk-off at Comerica Park.
The finish turned emotional immediately after Verlander's final pitch. His seven-year-old daughter, Genevieve, ran onto the field wearing a Tigers jersey and embraced her father in his last moment as an active MLB player.
Verlander wept when he saw her approaching. His two-year-old son, Bellamy, watched from nearby, held by his mother, actress Kate Upton.
The scene resonated quickly with fans on social media. Several described the moment as moving and memorable, with one comparing it to a storybook sports-film ending and another noting that teammates greeted him first before he took his daughter's hand as he left the field. A fan in the stadium called it a moment to behold.
Looking back on the day, Verlander said he hopes his daughter will one day understand the personal sacrifices he made in order to keep playing baseball professionally.
Verlander spent 22 seasons in the majors. He broke in with Detroit, where he pitched his first 12 years, and later played for the Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.
His resume includes two World Series titles with Houston in 2017 and 2022, the 2011 American League MVP Award and that season's Triple Crown, three Cy Young Awards and three career no-hitters. He earned $411.2 million over his playing career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history.
For fans planning to follow the Tigers, Pittsburgh visits Detroit at Comerica Park on Sunday, September 27 at 3:10 PM EDT, with coverage available on MLB.TV and Tigers.TV.
