Verlander Ends MLB Career By Walking Off Field Hand-in-Hand with His Daughter

(Screenshot of Justin Verlander walking off the field for the last time with his daughter Genevieve)

This afternoon, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander made his 557th & final MLB start at Comerica Park before a sellout crowd against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Verlander returned to the Tigers back in February with the hope that he would help Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez and company get over the hump and earn their first World Series title in 42 years.

But it was not to be. Verlander was plagued with injuries all season, Skubal would be traded to the Dodgers and Valdez did not endear himself to his teammates. The Tigers proved to be one of the biggest disappointments in MLB in 2026. By the All-Star Break, Verlander announced this would be his last season.

Verlander pitched serviceably. In 5.1 innings, Verlander surrendered 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking only a single batter. Unfortunately, when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch came to get the ball from him, the Tigers were trailing 2-1 on account of two solo HRs Verlander surrendered to Brandon Lowe in the fourth and Jacob Gonzalez in the fifth.

But the score didn't matter when Verlander's 7-year-old daughter Genevieve ran out onto the field to give her father a hug. The pair walked off the field hand in hand.

Still, the Tigers didn't want to end the day on a losing note. Enter Tigers DH Eduardo Valencia who hit a walk off HR off Pirates closer Mason Montgomery to cap off a 3-run 9th inning to give Detroit a 4-3 win.

In 557 MLB starts, Verlander went 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA along with 3560 career strikeouts in 3576.2 innings pitched. Those 3560 strikeouts are good enough for 8th place on MLB's all-time list. Although that might not be good enough for Verlander's former Tigers and Mets teammate Max Scherzer who is 9th on the list with 3550 strikeouts. Scherzer is scheduled to start for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cincinnati Reds on the final day of the regular season tomorrow. He has not made a decision whether he will pitch in 2027 pending a possible lockout by the owners.

There might be uncertainty regarding 2026 and 2027 but come 2032 Justin Verlander will be giving a speech in Cooperstown. By then his daughter will be a teenager. I am sure the pair will walk hand in hand.