(Lakeland) Ace Justin Verlander is back with the first team that welcomed him to Major League Baseball, after signing a one-year contract worth 13 million US dollars (17.6 million Canadian dollars) with the Detroit Tigers.
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Verlander, who turns 43 on Feb. 20, is hoping to bounce back after a frustrating year with the San Francisco Giants. The three-time Cy Young Award winner’s AHL contract includes $11 million in deferred payments, starting in 2030.
With 266 victories to his record, Verlander is tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey at 34e place in the ranking of the best pitchers in baseball history, while his 3,553 strikeouts place him in eighth position, just behind Don Sutton, who has 3,574.
Verlander said he needed a “relentless search to find something, anything, to get him going again” to turn things around after his struggles last year with the Giants. His 2.60 ERA between July 23 and the end of the season ranks him fourth in the National League with a minimum of 60 innings pitched.
Verlander returned on June 18, after being sidelined for a month due to a strained right pectoral muscle. The right-handed pitcher looks to continue pitching after a disappointing season he started with an 0-8 record. In addition, he did not sign a victory in his first 16 outings, before winning against the Braves in Atlanta on July 23.
He finished the season with a 4-11 record, a 3.85 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 29 starts and 152 innings pitched. With 266 wins to his name, he is still far from the 300 win club, but he could get close if he has a good season in 2026.
date: 2026-02-10 19:58:00