This wasn’t something most of us ever thought we’d see again. When long-time ace and future Hall of Famer, Justin Verlander, was traded away on August 31, 2017, an eventual reunion seemed a lot more likely. With the Tigers going into rebuild mode, the hope at the time was that they might re-renter a competitive cycle again by 2021-2022 as Verlander neared 40 years old. With his track record that didn’t seem too far fetched, but if you’d told most of us he would return in 2026 at age 43, well that would’ve
been very hard to believe back in 2017. Instead, through his miraculous longevity and the Tigers finally getting it going over the past two seasons, a most improbable reunion at 43 years old is about to begin on Friday.
Verlander is slated to make his spring debut at Publix Field against the Boston Red Sox and a good young pitching prospect in lefty Connelly Early at 1:05 p.m. ET today. Annoyingly, the game won’t be broadcast other than on radio, but you can expect quite a welcome from the crowd as Verlander takes the mound in a Tigers’ jersey for the first time in eight and a half years.
It’s been interesting how spring camp has unfolded for him. Verlander threw a long bullpen session with media in attendance early in camp, but has otherwise laid low, leaving the limelight to Tarik Skubal and the Tigers’ top prospects in camp. Reports have indicated him topping out at 95 mph, which is exactly what the Tigers want to see, so all systems appear to be go for him heading into his first start. Still, it wouldn’t be surprisingly to see him cruising at less than full velocity the first time out either.
Veteran pitchers often need less time in camp to ramp up and stretch out, but this is still a pretty late debut. Verlander has been doing this for 20 years, and there aren’t many precedents for this kind of longevity, so presumably the Tigers have basically let him map out his own plan for spring camp. We wouldn’t expect him to throw more than two innings in his first start, but without having seen him on the mound already, it’s impossible to know quite where his timeline is as he builds up to the regular season. There are only three weeks left of camp, and he’ll need to be up to 80 or so pitches by the time the regular season starts, so it’s probably up to him to set his pitch counts at a progression that will have him ready on time.
While it’s going to be great to see him out there again, It’s worth holding a note of caution and keeping expectations in check. Verlander pitched really well in August and September last year. After some nagging injuries early in the season, the velocity returned after he was able to string together a bunch of starts in succession. He was sitting 94-95 mph consistently after being more in the 93-94 mph range earlier in the season. At times down the stretch he was reaching back for 97 and even 98 at one point when he wanted it. We might not see him really turn it loose to that level for a few more weeks at least.
So this is all pretty exciting, but we have to remember that he’s 43 years old and hasn’t put together a 3 WAR season since 2023. We all have hopes of late period Nolan Ryan, or something like Kenny Rogers leading the Tigers’ rotation to the World Series back in ‘06, but we shouldn’t be too greedy here either. Verlander is here to eat innings and be a steady presence after the big dogs, Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, who will lead the rotation on the mound.
The spectre of an aging Hall of Famer, the greatest pitcher in franchise history, struggling to a 5+ ERA with diminished stuff and racked by injury, is presumably part of the reason the Tigers weren’t keen on signing for him last offseason. Scott Harris does not want to be the guy who has to potentially end Verlander’s career by cutting him during the season. There’s a lot of psychological weight in Verlander’s presence, but of course it goes both ways in this final stage of his storied career. We can’t necessarily assume he’s going to have a good, healthy season at this point in the story.
If Justin Verlander can give the Tigers 150 innings with an ERA under 4.50, that would be a win. They shouldn’t need more than that and expecting too much more is asking for trouble. Putting on a Tigers’ uniform again isn’t going to roll back the clock. There’s nothing wrong with hoping for a dream season. There will be something wrong if Verlander is just solid depth in a starting role and it isn’t enough for some fans.
Right now, it just feels incredibly fitting to have Justin Verlander a Tiger again. He no longer has to lead the way, but his presence on a team with postseason aspirations certainly means a lot of most of us. Let’s just enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.
