Justin Verlander Told David Ortiz He Got Him. Then He Did the Same to Derek Jeter.

Justin Verlander is going out with stories. Good ones.

The Tigers legend was named a Legends pick for the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. And right after that, he said this is it. He’s done. Retired. Walking away.

On Monday, before the Home Run Derby, Verlander sat down with David Ortiz and Derek Jeter on the pre-show. And he brought receipts.

He turned to Ortiz first.

“Your last season, you got that last at-bat, you and I got to face off. I threw you a heater up and in. You just missed it. You hit a 700-foot pop-up. You looked at me. I was walking off the mound. You looked at me, we made eye contact, and we knew. Like ‘I got you, barely, but I got you.’ and that was fun,” Verlander said.

Then he looked at Jeter.

“Jeet, I know you remember. Your last season, I came up and asked you if I could just get anything from the game, game-used. First at-bat, fastball in, shattered your bat, and you’re running down the first base line, yelling at me, ‘that’s why I’m retiring.’ After the game, you sent me the bat. You had it all taped up, probably bad on purpose. So that bat comes over, all taped up, ‘to Justin, this is why I’m retiring, Derek Jeter.’”

Verlander got the last word against both Hall of Famers. But let’s be fair about the numbers.

Ortiz slashed .343 with two homers and four RBIs against Verlander in 35 at-bats. That’s not a pitcher owning a hitter. That’s a hitter doing damage. Jeter hit .389 with a homer and four walks in 36 at-bats. Neither guy was afraid of Verlander. The difference is Verlander won the moments that mattered most.

The last at-bat. The last matchup. The last memory.

Verlander won’t pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. But he’ll be recognized on the field as he finishes out his final season back in Detroit. And after that, it’s a straight shot to Cooperstown. No question about that.

He leaves with a Cy Young, a Triple Crown, a no-hitter, a World Series ring, and a place in the game’s history that few ever reach. But the thing that’ll stick for a lot of fans is those last showdowns. Two legends, one pitcher, and the kind of stories you can’t make up.