Justin Verlander threw the final pitches of his 21-year major league career on Saturday at Comerica Park in Detroit, closing out a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates that ended with his 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, coming out to the mound to walk him off the field.
The 43-year-old right-hander announced earlier this year that 2026 would be his last season. With one out in the sixth inning, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch left the dugout not to signal for a relief pitcher in the usual way, but to wave Genevieve out from the stands. She ran to the mound ahead of Hinch and embraced her father as the Comerica Park crowd stood and applauded.
Verlander hugged his teammates on the mound before walking slowly toward the Tigers dugout with his daughter at his side. He tipped his cap to the crowd, then embraced his wife, model Kate Upton, near the dugout. The couple’s 1-year-old son, Bellamy, was also on hand for the occasion.
The outing capped a farewell season disrupted by injury. Hip inflammation and a hamstring strain limited Verlander to a single start before Saturday, in which he allowed five runs in 3 ⅔ innings. Against the Pirates, he looked far closer to his old self, striking out six batters and allowing just two runs over 5 ⅓ innings.
Before the game, Verlander said he had no predetermined plan for how long he would pitch in his final major league appearance.
“There’s no script,” Verlander told reporters. “I want to go as long as I can. I skipped about a month’s worth of rehab to be able to do this, but I also don’t want to just go out there and throw 20 pitches. I think everybody feels comfortable with 20 pitches, and then after that, we’re kind of in a who-knows zone.”
Verlander finishes his career with 3,560 strikeouts, eighth all time in major league history. He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and a one-time American League MVP.
