Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander Returning to the team he started his career with and signing a one-year, $13 million contract with them detroit tigers On Tuesday.
Verlander, who will turn 43 on Feb. 20, spent his first 13 seasons with the Tigers.
He is considered perhaps the best pitcher of his generation, with the most innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins among active players.
Verlander’s 266 wins are tied for 34th on baseball’s career list with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey, while his 3,553 career strikeouts are tied for eighth and just behind Don Sutton with 3,574.
Now he joins a Tigers rotation that boasts a two-time defending American League Cy Young winner tariq skubal, free agent acquisition framber valdezwho was teammates with verlander Houston Astros During the 2017–18 season, and jack flaherty.
The nine-time All-Star said he wants to return for a 21st major league season after experiencing a wild roller coaster of ups and downs. san francisco giants In 2025.
The right-hander, who signed a one-year, $15 million contract in January, made a team-record 16 starts before recording a win and then career start number 555, which ranks 27th all-time.
Verlander was 0-8 in his first 16 starts, but he gave up only nine earned runs in 41⅓ innings (1.96 ERA) in his last seven. Overall, he went 4–11 with a 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 152 innings.
After a dominant 13 years with the Tigers, Verlander got a second life when he joined the Astros in 2017. He won Cy Young Awards in 2019 and 2022 — and subsequently signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract. New York Mets. Verlander made 16 starts with the Mets before being traded back to the Astros in August 2023.
In his career, Verlander is 266–158 with a 3.32 ERA in 3,567⅔ innings. He has struck out 3,553 batters, scored 1,004 runs and won two World Series with the Astros.
The Tigers’ pitchers and catchers are scheduled to have their first spring training workouts on Wednesday.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
