Justin Verlander is calling it a career. The Tigers ace announced he’ll hang it up after this season, closing the book on a run that started in 2005 and never really let up. Ten All-Star nods, three Cy Youngs, two World Series rings, an MVP, a Triple Crown. He might be the best pitcher of the 21st century. That’s not hyperbole. That’s just his stat line.
Verlander bounced around toward the end — two stints in Detroit, two in Houston, a pit stop with the Mets, a brief run with the Giants. But everywhere he threw, he stacked wins and embarrassed hitters. So what stand out as the signature moments? Let’s talk about three.
Three No-Hitters, One Lonely Club
A perfect game is the holy grail. Only 24 in history. A no-hitter is the next best thing, and it’s still absurdly rare. Verlander threw three of them. That puts him in a group with Bob Feller, Cy Young, Larry Corcoran, Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. That’s it. Six guys ever. And the others played in eras where pitchers had every advantage. Verlander did it in the modern game.
His first came in 2007 against the Brewers as a young Tiger. Then 2011 against the Blue Jays. Then, eight years later — the second-longest gap between no-hitters in MLB history — he did it again. Same opponent, the Blue Jays, but this time he was wearing an Astros uniform. The wait just made it sweeter.
The World Series Win That Shut Everyone Up
For years, people whispered that Verlander couldn’t win the big one. He lost both starts in the 2006 World Series. Lost his only start in 2012. Went 0-1 with a no-decision in 2017, even though Houston won the title. Then he lost twice in 2019 and took a no-decision in Game 1 of the 2022 Series.
That narrative finally died in Game 5 of the 2022 Fall Classic. Verlander, at 39 years old, outdueled the Phillies and led the Astros to a 3-2 win. Houston closed it out in six games. The man from Manakin Sabot, Virginia, finally had his defining October moment. Similar to how John Elway shook off the choker label late in his career, Verlander wiped away years of criticism with one vintage start.
The MVP Season That Defies Logic
Pitchers don’t win MVP. That’s for hitters. The Cy Young is the pitcher’s award. But sometimes a guy has a year so dominant that voters can’t ignore him. It’s happened 25 times in MLB history. Verlander is the only American League pitcher to do it since Dennis Eckersley in 1992, unless you count Shohei Ohtani (and you shouldn’t, because Ohtani is basically two players).
In 2011, Verlander won 24 games. He threw 251 innings with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. He won the Cy Young, the MVP and the pitching Triple Crown. Nobody has been more unhittable in the last decade-plus. That season wasn’t just great. It was a reminder that when Verlander was locked in, there was no one better.
So now he walks away. No more 98 mph fastballs, no more no-hitters, no more October doubters. Just a career that ranks among the best any pitcher has ever put together.
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