The Hall of Fame career for pitcher Justin Verlander, who is back with the Detroit Tigers for one final season, is coming to a close this fall. The former American League MVP announced recently that the 2026 campaign would be the last in his Major League Baseball journey.
Verlander will leave the game with three Cy Young Awards, at least two World Series championships, and 10 MLB All-Star Game selections. And while he’s going to mostly be known for his time pitching with the Tigers as well as the Houston Astros, with whom he won his pair of titles, he also spent a brief period of his career as a member of the New York Mets.
While his time with the franchise wasn’t long, playing in New York left an indelible impression upon himself and the rest of his family, as he reflected before the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
Former New York Mets Pitcher Justin Verlander Looks Back Lovingly On His Time In New York
Verlander signed a two-year contract with the Mets in 2022, and would eventually make his debut in the 2023 MLB season after having initially started the year on the Injured List.
“I really fell in love with the city,” Verlander said. “It was short, obviously. Didn’t go the way we wanted. There’s a lot of things that were sad about it. But I think the relationship with Steve Cohen and his wife Alex, how great they were to me and my family. Getting to play that short time in New York was incredible. I still have my apartment in the city.”
While there wasn’t much to look back upon in terms of his time on the mound, Verlander was appreciative of getting to play with his former Tigers teammate Max Scherzer again for a brief period.
“There’s not a lot of positives,” he said. “I made some great relationships there. I think another thing that I appreciate was getting the chance to play with Max again, kind of rekindle that relationship after some years away. Just a lot of growth.”
Verlander also touched on the memory of his young daughter enjoying the city while sightseeing on her scooter, something he’ll look back upon fondly.
“I remember my daughter like bebopping around the city in her little scooter,” he said. “Just a lot of, like, life memories there. It was a cool time for me in my life.”
After just one season with the Mets, during which he posted a 6-5 record with an ERA of 3.15 and 81 strikeouts in 16 appearances, he was dealt back to the Astros.
Justin Verlander Announced He Would Retire At The End Of This Season
Verlander announced via social media that the 2026 MLB season would be his last.
“While I’m fully committed to giving my team everything I have for the rest of this season, I’ve decided this will be my last,” Verlander shared on social media. “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.”
At 43 years of age, Verlander is the oldest active MLB player, but he’s been limited to a single start so far this season due to injury issues.
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