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Justin Verlander's Retirement Signals the End of an Era in MLB History One of the most dominant pitchers over the last 20 years is officially entering the final stretch of his career.
Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander i Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander watches from the dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
| USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect One of the most dominant pitchers over the last 20 years is officially entering the final stretch of his career.on Wednesday.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner has been limited to just one start this year and has spent most of the season on the injured list with left hip inflammation.Regardless, the nine-time All-Star is surely headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in short order once he hangs up his spikes.
If Verlander never throws another pitch in the majors, he'll end his career with 266 wins, 3,554 strikeouts, and 26 complete games.
Given how the game has evolved in recent years, those numbers might not be surpassed by the next generation of hurlers entering the league.And simply put, that's a testament to how impressive the veteran's legendary career was.
October 10, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer and starting pitcher Justin Verlander stand in the dugout during the ninth inning in game five of the American League divisional series playoff baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum.
The Tigers defeated the Athletics 3-0.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect.The 41-year-old is 51 strikeouts behind his former teammate right now, but he's also dealing with injuries this season and is likely in the final stages of his career.
After Scherzer, Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale is next on the list of current strikeout leaders with 2,691.
But at 37 years old and with his extensive injury history, it's unclear if the southpaw will have a legitimate shot at reaching 3,500 strikeouts.Scherzer is also the only active pitcher besides Verlander with over 200 wins.
The eight-time All-Star has 222 career victories to date, which brings into question whether another hurler will reach 250again.
New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole is third on the list with 156 wins, followed by Sale at 154 and Boston Red Sox right-handerat 135.Individual win-loss records aren't viewed the same way they once were, though, making it increasingly more likely that Verlander could be the final 250-win pitcher.immediately come to mind as two young arms who could have impressive careers.
But, at the end of the day, it's going to be difficult for any current-day pitchers to replicate the longevity and success that Verlander put on display over the past 20 years.Justin Binkowski is a lifelong baseball fan returning to cover the sport he loves after spending nearly a decade writing about video games.
Before his time as managing editor at Dot Esports, Binkowski attended King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he was also a relief pitcher on the school's baseball team.
While in college, Binkowski was a media relations intern for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during the 2014 season.