Justin Verlander Set for Final MLB Start Saturday vs. Pirates
The short version
- Justin Verlander's final MLB start is Saturday vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park
- Verlander, 43, announced 2026 would be his final season after a 22-year career
- Detroit drafted him second overall in 2004; he won AL MVP and Cy Young in 2011
- He was reinstated from the 60-day IL after a hip injury limited him to one start this year
The 43-year-old right-hander will close out a 22-year career at Comerica Park with the Tigers, who drafted him second overall in 2004.
Justin Verlander will take the mound one last time on Saturday, when the Detroit Tigers face the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. The Tigers confirmed the start through their official account on X. Verlander declared earlier this season that 2026 would be his last in the majors.
The 43-year-old returned to Detroit on a one-year, $13 million contract after posting a 3.85 ERA across 152.0 innings with the San Francisco Giants in 2025. A hip injury early this season limited him to a single start for the Tigers, and he was placed on the 60-day injured list in May before being reinstated.
Detroit selected Verlander with the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, and he spent the first 12 and a half seasons of his 22-year career with the club. His peak came in 2011, when he captured the AL MVP and Cy Young Award after claiming the pitching triple crown. He came closest to a title in Detroit with the 2012 World Series loss to the Giants, and he later starred for the Houston Astros.
Across 381 games and 2,514.2 innings in a Tigers uniform, Verlander recorded a 3.51 ERA and 2,374 strikeouts. How many innings he will throw on Saturday has not been announced.