The veteran pitcher closed out a 21-season career on Saturday before donating his game hat to the Hall of Fame.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander took the mound for the final time on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, ending a 21-season career against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Detroit.
Verlander, making just his second start of the season, pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up two earned runs and struck out six. In the sixth inning, his 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, walked onto the field to pull him from the mound as catcher Dillon Dingler looked on. The moment moved the 43-year-old pitcher to tears before he exited the field.
Outlets reported conflicting results for the game. According to Fox News, the Tigers rallied in the ninth inning to win on a walk-off two-run home run by Eduardo Valencia. A report published by ClutchPoints and distributed by Yahoo Sports stated that the Tigers lost the game 4-2.
Verlander was drafted second overall by Detroit in 2004 and collected multiple Cy Young awards, the 2011 American League MVP and World Series rings across his career. His wife, Kate Upton, called Saturday “a really emotional day.”
Verlander donated the hat from his final appearance to the Hall of Fame. On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shared a retrospective on Instagram featuring Upton’s 2024 cover shoot to mark his retirement.
