MLB Legend Justin Verlander Announces Retirement Plan For 2026

Tigers great Justin Verlander announces he will retire after 2026

The 43-year-old, 3-time Cy Young winner and 2017 AL MVP said injuries limited him to one start this year and made the decision "kind of easy.”

Verlander says 2026 will be his final MLB season with Detroit Tigers...

The Tigers right-hander, 43, announced Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last. The 3-time Cy Young winner and former AL MVP made the announcement in a social media post.

Verlander came back to Detroit this season on a one-year, $13 million deal.

He debuted with the Tigers in 2005 and spent his first 13 seasons there before heading to Houston. In Houston he won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 during a dominant run with the Astros.

Ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. the Athletics, Verlander said injuries that have held him to just one start this year made retiring “kind of easy.” He looked relaxed as he spoke.

“This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally,” Verlander, a two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros, said in a statement posted on X.

“I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I'd keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.

“Over the last several months, I've realized that time has come,” the future Hall of Famer added.

Verlander posted on X that he is “fully committed” to finishing the year strong for Detroit.

“It's fitting that I get to finish where it all started - with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity,” he wrote.

He also gave a shoutout to commissioner Rob Manfred for selecting him as a “Legend Pick” for next week’s All-Star Game.

pic.twitter.com/7mBzftMH4V

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) July 8, 2026

Verlander’s career also included stops with the Mets and Giants. He’s in rare company as one of six pitchers ever with three no-hitters.

He finishes with 266 wins and 3,554 strikeouts, good for eighth all-time.

Hinch said he spent the last few weeks just listening as Verlander sorted through the decision and how to share it while rehabbing to pitch again this year.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner, two-time World Series Champion, 2011 American League MVP, and 2006 AL Rookie of the Year Justin Verlander has been named to the AL roster as a “Legend Pick” for the 2026 All-Star Game, Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced… pic.twitter.com/WKqU9tCdV4

— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2026

“It's time for the next chapter,” Verlander wrote on X. “But first, I'm excited to finish this season the only way I know how - with everything I've got.”