Verlander Reunion Could Spark Tigers' Latest Trip to World Series
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It was a heartwarming day in baseball to see the reunion taking place between the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander. Verlander is soon to be 43 years old, and while it is merely speculation, it seems likely that this will be his last year in the majors, and it is more than fitting that it will be with the organization that launched his Hall-of-Fame career.
The organization has had success since his departure in 2017, when he was traded to the Houston Astros, but the Tigers haven't won an American League Pennant since Verlander was a member of the team.
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Detroit has 11 AL Pennants under its belt, but the only two since 2000, and those occurred in 2012 and 2006. Verlander became a primary starter in 2006 and was exceptional. He won Rookie of the Year after posting a 3.63 ERA and striking out 124 batters.
2012 was the year following his first Cy Young Award, and while he didn't take home another one consecutively, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had. His campaign was incredible as the ballclub got 33 starts out of him where he retired 239 hitters while posting a 2.64 ERA.
The past two seasons, with easily the best pitcher in baseball Tarik Skubal, the Tigers have not been able to get over the hump that has been the AL Divisional Series. While Verlander isn't going to be the answer to all of their shortcomings, his expertise and playoff experience will be a huge factor when October rolls around.
Since leaving the team, Verlander has won a pair of Cy Young Awards to complement a pair of World Series championships. It is safe to say he knows what it takes to win in the postseason and that could be the ultimate difference maker.
2026 Pitching Staff With Verlander
The first name that obviously comes to mind regarding the starting rotation is Skubal, but there have been a few additions this offseason, and the pitching staff has shaped up quite nicely.
- Tarik Skubal
- Framber Valdez
- Casey Mize
- Jack Flaherty
- Justin Verlander
Valdez and Flaherty were nearly identical in their numbers of strikeouts thrown last year, as Flaherty retired 188, only one more than Valdez. Mize, on the other hand actually finished 2025 with more wins than Skubal and a better ERA than both Valdez and Flaherty.
Back where it all started pic.twitter.com/zQfMJeKtg9
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) February 11, 2026
If there is concern over Verlander's age, it isn't warranted. Last season with the San Francisco Giants, he finished with a 3.85 ERA and 137 strikeouts.
It is very clear who the Opening Day starter will be for the Tigers when that day rolls around in less than six weeks, but other than that, there isn't a certainty about how this lineup will shape up. Detroit has plenty of good options, and with the addition of Verlander, they could find themselves back in the Fall Classic.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.