Before the spring training began, the Detroit Tigers announced that they signed Justin Verlander on a 1-year deal. This is a huge reunion. Verlander was drafted by the Tigers in the first round of the 2004 draft. Very soon, he made his MLB debut in 2005. In 2017, he was traded to the Astros. After playing for the Astros, the Mets and the Giants, this year, he returned to Detroit.
While watching news and videos about Verlander’s reunion with the Tigers, I’m just thinking about his career with the Tigers. In the 2026 season, what milestones will he reach?
To solve my doubts, I decided to check on the great baseball reference website.
Firstly, let’s quickly take a look at wins. Hooks Dauss pitched for the Tigers from 1912 to 1926 and he got 223 wins, leading the Tigers. Also, in the Tigers franchise history, there are 3 other pitchers who earned 200+ wins for the team. Moreover, Jack Morris and Tommy Bridges each had 190+ wins for the Tigers. Jack Morris pitched for the Tigers from 1977 to 1990 and he got 198 wins. Tommy Bridges played for the Tigers for 16 seasons and had 194 wins. Verlander now has 183 wins as a Tiger.
Secondly, let’s look at innings pitched. 4 pitchers each threw more than 3000 innings for the Tigers. George Mullin, Hooks Dauss and Mickey Lolich each tossed 3300+ innings for the Tigers. George Mullin spent 12 seasons with the Tigers and he’s now leading the franchise with 3394 innings pitched. Hal Newhouser, who’s a Hall of Famer, threw 2944 innings for the Tigers in 15 seasons and Tommy Bridges threw more than 2800 innings. Dizzy Trout threw 2500+ innings for the Tigers in 14 seasons. Verlander has thrown 2511 innings for the team.
Finally, let’s look at strikeouts leaders. Mickey Lolich pitched for the Tigers for 13 seasons, striking out 2679 batters. In particular, he threw 308 strikeouts in the 1971 season. As a Tiger, Verlander has struck out 2373 batters. From 2009 to 2013, he struck out more than 200 batters each season. Moreover, Jack Morris threw 1980 strikeouts as a Tiger.
Looking at Verlander’s stats as a Tiger, he’s certainly a legend of the Tigers. He hasn’t pitched for the Tigers for several seasons. However, he’s on the top 10 in several pitching categories. In particular, only 2 pitchers in the Tigers uniform threw 2000+ strikeouts and one of them is Justin Verlander. But, since Verlander only signed a 1-year deal and he’s already 43 years old, it’s unlikely to see him become the number 1 in strikeouts in franchise history. Nonetheless, we might see him surpass some pitchers in other pitching categories. For example, he shall surpass Dizzy Trout in innings pitched and he might surpass Tommy Bridges in wins. Well, last season, Justin Verlander made 29 starts for the Giants, posting a 3.85 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 152 innings. He missed some playing time because of being placed on the IL. He’s already 43, so staying healthy is surely a top priority. And one last thing, is this going to be Verlander’s final season in the majors?
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