Justin Brooks Verlander ( / ˈ v ɜːr l æ n d ər / VUR -land-ər ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants. Verlander has won the Cy Young Award three times, the American League Most Valuable Player Award once, and has been a World Series champion twice. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Verlander was born in Manakin Sabot, Virginia. He attended Old Dominion University (ODU) and played college baseball for the Monarchs. He set records for the most strikeouts in the Monarchs' and Colonial Athletic Association's history. At the 2003 Pan American Games, he helped the United States national team win a silver medal. The Detroit Tigers selected Verlander with the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft. He made his major league debut with the Tigers in 2005. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2006. In 2007, he pitched the first no-hitter at Comerica Park. In 2009, he led the American League in wins and strikeouts for the first time. His most successful season was in 2011, when he pitched his second career no-hitter, won the Pitching Triple Crown, the American League Cy Young Award (unanimously), the American League MVP Award, and the Sporting News Player of the Year Award. He played for the Tigers for 12 years, becoming the main pitcher in their starting lineup and a key player in four consecutive American League Central division championships (2011–2014) and two American League pennants (2006 and 2012).

Before the 2017 trade deadline, the Tigers traded Verlander to the Astros. He went undefeated in his first five starts heading into the postseason. He was named the American League Championship Series MVP and shared the Babe Ruth Award as the Astros won the 2017 World Series. In 2018, Verlander earned his 200th career win. In 2019, he became the sixth pitcher in MLB history to throw three no-hitters. He also had his first career 300-strikeout season and won his second Cy Young Award while leading the Astros to their second pennant in three seasons. Verlander missed most of the 2020 season and all of the 2021 season due to injury. He returned in 2022 and won 18 games with an under-2.00 ERA, helping the Astros win their second World Championship. He received his third Cy Young Award that year, becoming the first Astro to win multiple Cy Young Awards. Verlander signed with the Mets in December 2022, was traded back to the Astros in August 2023, and signed with the Giants in January 2025. After one season with the Giants, he returned to the Tigers on a one-year contract in 2026.

Verlander has been selected to the MLB All-Star Game nine times. He has led the American League in strikeouts five times, in earned run average twice, and in wins three times. He is one of ten pitchers in baseball history to record 3,500 career strikeouts. As of September 2025, he is the active leader in career wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched in Major League Baseball. He is also the oldest active player in the league.

Early life

Justin Brooks Verlander was born on February 20, 1983, in Manakin Sabot, Virginia. He played Little League baseball at Tuckahoe Little League in Richmond, Virginia. His father, Richard Verlander, enrolled him at The Richmond Baseball Academy when he was young. Shortly after joining the academy, Verlander could throw a fastball at 84 mph (135 km/h). During his senior year at Goochland High School, his pitching speed remained at 86 mph (138 km/h) because he was affected by strep throat.

College career

Verlander's pitch speed reached 87 mph (140 km/h) during his first year with Old Dominion. Verlander, who is 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters) tall and weighs 200 pounds (91 kilograms), is a right-handed pitcher. He played for the Old Dominion University baseball team for three years. On May 17, 2002, he struck out a school record of 17 batters during a game against James Madison. In 2003, he set a school single-season record with 139 strikeouts. In 2004, he broke his own record and established a new Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record with 151 strikeouts. Verlander finished his college career as the all-time strikeout leader at Old Dominion University, the CAA, and the Commonwealth of Virginia (Division I) history, with 427 strikeouts in 335 and two-thirds innings. Over his three years, he averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and his career collegiate earned run average (ERA) was 2.57.

He was named CAA Rookie of the Year in 2002 and earned All-CAA honors in 2003 and 2004. Verlander was selected as the ODU Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year in 2004. He was the second overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft by the Detroit Tigers.

Professional career

Verlander began his professional baseball career when the Detroit Tigers selected him second in the 2004 MLB draft. He signed a contract on October 25, 2004. Verlander made his professional debut in 2005. He played for two of Detroit's minor league teams: the Lakeland Flying Tigers (High-A) and the Erie SeaWolves (Double-A). He also started two games for the Tigers in July. After recording a 9–2 record and a 1.67 ERA in 13 starts for Lakeland, Verlander joined the SeaWolves on June 20.

Verlander made his MLB debut on July 4, 2005. He had a 0–2 record and a 7.15 ERA in his only two starts that season.

He earned a spot on the 2006 Tigers roster after spring training. In his first full Major League season, Verlander went 17–9 with a 3.63 ERA, striking out 124 batters in 186 innings. On July 4, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney each threw multiple fastballs over 100 mph (160 km/h). This was the first time in MLB history that three pitchers on the same team had done so during a game. He allowed one stolen base in 2006 and picked off seven baserunners. In 2006, he became the first rookie pitcher in the history of the game to win 10 games before the end of June. He was named AL Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. During Game 1 of the 2006 World Series, Verlander was the Tigers' starting pitcher against Anthony Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals. This was the first time two rookies faced off to start a World Series. The Tigers lost the series to the Cardinals in five games.

Verlander continued his success in 2007, accumulating 18 wins and posting a 3.66 ERA with 183 strikeouts in 201 and 2/3 innings. On June 12, Verlander recorded a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out twelve and walking four while throwing a fastball 102 mph (164 km/h).

In 2008, Verlander lost four consecutive games before winning his first one. He led MLB in losses with 17. Overall, he finished the 2008 season with an 11–17 record and a 4.84 ERA.

Verlander became the first Major League starter in 24 years to load the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning or later and get out of it without allowing a run when he achieved this feat on July 24, 2009. Then-Mariners pitcher Mike Moore was the last to do so, on September 16, 1985.

He finished the 2009 season with a 19–9 record, a 3.45 ERA, and an MLB-leading 269 strikeouts, the most by a Tiger since Mickey Lolich's 308 in 1971. His 10.1/9 IP strikeout rate led all American League starters. His 19 wins led the majors that season. Verlander finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind winner Zack Greinke and runner-up Félix Hernández.

In the offseason, Verlander and the Tigers reached a deal for a five-year, $80 million contract extension. On July 3, Verlander earned his 10th win of the 2010 season. This marked the fourth time in five years he had double-digit wins before the All-Star break. On September 18, Verlander beat the Chicago White Sox, throwing a complete game to earn his 17th win of the season. Verlander was the first pitcher to win 17 games in four of his first five seasons since Dwight Gooden. He finished the 2010 season with an 18–9 record and a 3.37 ERA while striking out 219 batters in 224 and 1/3 innings.

On April 22, 2011, Verlander recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in a 9–3 win over the White Sox, becoming the 15th Tiger to do so. On May 7, he recorded his second career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out four, walking one batter, and throwing at a maximum speed of 101 mph (163 km/h) on the radar gun. He carried a perfect game into the eighth inning before allowing a walk to J. P. Arencibia, who was the only Blue Jays batter to reach base in the game. Arencibia was erased on a double play, so Verlander faced a minimum of 27 batters for the game. He became the second Tigers pitcher since Virgil Trucks and the 30th pitcher in the history of baseball to throw multiple no-hitters. On his next start, against the Kansas City Royals on May 13, Verlander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before surrendering a triple. Altogether, he pitched 15 and 2/3 consecutive no-hit innings spread over three starts.

On June 14, Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He pitched 7 and 1/3 innings until giving up a base hit to Cleveland's Orlando Cabrera. Verlander ended up with a complete-game shutout, allowing two hits. In his next start on June 19, he threw another complete game, allowing only a solo home run to Ty Wigginton. On June 25, he recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts against Arizona. Verlander was selected to his fourth AL All-Star team but was unable to participate in the game due to the scheduling of his starts.

On July 31, Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels before surrendering a single to Maicer Izturis. He walked two and struck out nine. On August 11, Verlander won his 100th major league game against the Cleveland Indians. A victory on August 27 gave him his 200th career win.

On August 27, 2011, Verlander earned his 200th career win, becoming the first pitcher in Tigers history to reach that milestone. He also became the 16th pitcher in MLB history to achieve 200 wins before age 30.

On September 27, 2011, Verlander won his 200

International career

In 2003, as a second-year college student, Verlander played baseball for the United States national team and helped the team earn a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.

In 2023, Verlander was asked to join the United States national team for the World Baseball Classic but decided not to participate. He explained that he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery and had recently played in the World Series.

Pitching style

Verlander throws four types of pitches: a fast four-seam fastball that averages 94–95 mph (reaching up to 102 mph), a slider that averages mid-to-high 80s mph, a 12–6 curveball around 80 mph, and a changeup that averages 85–88 mph. Verlander is known for his ability to change the speed of his fastball at any time during a game, allowing him to throw it in the upper 90s even late in games. Since 2008, Verlander has thrown pitches over 100 mph in the 8th inning or later 44 times, which is 39 more times than James Paxton, who is second on the list. This is despite the fact that Verlander has thrown the most pitches in Major League Baseball since the start of the 2008 season. After a few seasons affected by injuries, many thought Verlander had lost the speed fans had seen before. However, in 2017, his average fastball speed returned to 95.3 mph, which is 4 mph faster than his average in 2014 (91.2 mph) and 3 mph faster than his average in 2015 (92.3 mph). Verlander’s average fastball speed with no strikes is 94.7 mph, while it increases to 97.0 mph with two strikes.

Because of how modern baseball uses pitchers, Verlander is often seen as one of the last traditional power pitchers. He is also known as a pitcher who frequently throws fly balls. Throughout his career, Verlander has regularly been among the league leaders in innings pitched, winning the league title in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2019. He has finished in the top 10 in innings pitched nine times (2009–13, 2016–19) and has the most 200+ innings pitched seasons of any current player, with 11 total. His strong pitching style often leads to high strikeout totals. Verlander has won the American League strikeout title five times (2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2018), leading all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts during three of those seasons (2009, 2011, and 2012). He has struck out over 3,500 batters in his career, joining only 10 other pitchers in history to reach that total. Through the 2025 season, he ranks eighth all-time in career strikeouts.

Charity work

In 2013, Verlander created the Wins for Warriors Foundation to support U.S. military veterans. At that time, he gave more than $1 million to the organization. For his efforts to help veterans, Verlander was named one of the first people to receive the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2013.

Personal life

Justin Verlander was born in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, and grew up with his parents, Richard and Kathy Verlander, and his younger brother, Ben Verlander. His childhood and personal journey are described in a book written by his parents in 2012 titled Rocks Across the Pond: Lessons Learned, Stories Told.

Ben Verlander played baseball for the Detroit Tigers organization as an outfielder.

In 2014, Justin began dating model-actress Kate Upton. The couple became engaged in 2016. During the 2014 iCloud leaks of celebrity photos, some personal images of Verlander, including photos of him and Upton, as well as other individuals, were shared online without permission. On November 4, 2017, two days after Verlander won the World Series with the Houston Astros, he married Kate Upton in a medieval church in Tuscany, Italy, located near the Montalcino valley. In July 2018, the couple announced that Upton was pregnant with their first child, who was born later that year. On June 19, 2025, they welcomed their second child, a son.