Justin Verlander
Verlander capped his remarkable career at 43 by delivering one final masterpiece in 2022, posting a microscopic 1.75 ERA that defied Father Time and every projection model in baseball. That performance, worth an ERA+ of 226, ranks among the greatest seasons by any pitcher past 39 and secured his third Cy Young Award two decades after his first.
The longevity numbers tell an almost impossible story. Over 21 seasons, Verlander struck out 3,553 batters across 3,568 innings while maintaining a 128 ERA+, meaning he was 28 percent better than league average for more than two decades. His 266 wins feel quaint in the modern game, but they underscore his durability in an era when ace pitchers rarely see 200 career victories.
What separates Verlander from his contemporaries isn't just the peak — though his 2011 MVP season was transcendent — it's the sustained excellence. Nine All-Star selections spanning three different decades don't happen by accident.
| Date | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | HR | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30 | 3.667 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | L |
Career · Hitting
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | — | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2007 | — | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2008 | — | 33 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2009 | — | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2010 | — | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2011 | — | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2012 | — | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2013 | — | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 426 | 50 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
25 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | — | 2 | 11.1 | 0 | 2 | 7.15 | — | 7 | 1.76 |
| 2006 | — | 30 | 186.0 | 17 | 9 | 3.63 | — | 124 | 1.33 |
| 2007 | — | 32 | 201.2 | 18 | 6 | 3.66 | — | 183 | 1.23 |
| 2008 | — | 33 | 201.0 | 11 | 17 | 4.84 | — | 163 | 1.40 |
| 2009 | — | 35 | 240.0 | 19 | 9 | 3.45 | — | 269 | 1.18 |
| 2010 | — | 33 | 224.1 | 18 | 9 | 3.37 | — | 219 | 1.16 |
| 2011 | — | 34 | 251.0 | 24 | 5 | 2.40 | — | 250 | 0.92 |
| 2012 | — | 33 | 238.1 | 17 | 8 | 2.64 | — | 239 | 1.06 |
| 2013 | — | 34 | 218.1 | 13 | 12 | 3.46 | — | 217 | 1.31 |
| 2014 | — | 32 | 206.0 | 15 | 12 | 4.54 | — | 159 | 1.40 |
| 2015 | — | 20 | 133.1 | 5 | 8 | 3.38 | — | 113 | 1.09 |
| 2016 | — | 34 | 227.2 | 16 | 9 | 3.04 | — | 254 | 1.00 |
| 2017 | — | 28 | 172.0 | 10 | 8 | 3.82 | — | 176 | 1.28 |
| 2017 | — | 5 | 34.0 | 5 | 0 | 1.06 | — | 43 | 0.65 |
| 2017 | — | 33 | 206.0 | 15 | 8 | 3.36 | — | 219 | 1.17 |
| 2018 | — | 34 | 214.0 | 16 | 9 | 2.52 | — | 290 | 0.90 |
| 2019 | — | 34 | 223.0 | 21 | 6 | 2.58 | — | 300 | 0.80 |
| 2020 | — | 1 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | — | 7 | 0.67 |
| 2022 | — | 28 | 175.0 | 18 | 4 | 1.75 | — | 185 | 0.83 |
| 2023 | — | 16 | 94.1 | 6 | 5 | 3.15 | — | 81 | 1.14 |
| 2023 | — | 11 | 68.0 | 7 | 3 | 3.31 | — | 63 | 1.12 |
| 2023 | — | 27 | 162.1 | 13 | 8 | 3.22 | — | 144 | 1.13 |
| 2024 | — | 17 | 90.1 | 5 | 6 | 5.48 | — | 74 | 1.38 |
| 2025 | — | 29 | 152.0 | 4 | 11 | 3.85 | — | 137 | 1.36 |
| 2026 | — | 1 | 3.2 | 0 | 1 | 12.27 | — | 1 | 2.18 |
| Career | 616 | 3936.4 | 294 | 175 | — | — | 3917 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.