Justin Verlander is emotional. He is anxious. He is uncertain about how his final Major League start will unfold.

He is not second-guessing his decision to retire.

One day before taking the mound for the Detroit Tigers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park, Verlander made it clear that he is at peace with the end of his 21-year career, even if accepting that reality has produced some difficult moments.

“I can be sad. But why? 300 wins? That was a goal,” Verlander said as quoted by Brad Galli.

Verlander currently has 266 career victories, leaving him 34 short of a milestone he once hoped to reach. Injuries ultimately made that pursuit unrealistic, but they also helped him understand that the time had arrived.

“I feel like I ran my race,” Verlander said. “I feel like I gave it everything I could. There were signs. ‘Play till the wheels fall off.’ The wheel fell off.”

Verlander Has No Regrets About Walking Away

Verlander’s acknowledgment that “the wheel fell off” was blunt, but appropriate for a pitcher who spent his career pushing his body to extremes.

The 43-year-old returned to Detroit for the 2026 season expecting to contribute to a contender. Instead, he made only one start before left hip inflammation sent him to the injured list. A left hamstring strain later interrupted his attempted comeback and kept him off the mound for most of the season.

Verlander nevertheless kept working toward one final appearance. He completed bullpen sessions, threw a simulated inning and cleared his last physical test earlier this week.

He previously admitted that he risked suffering a serious injury because there was no future season left to protect.

On Friday, Verlander acknowledged that his path back to the mound was hardly conventional.

He said he “skipped a bunch of steps” while preparing for Saturday. He understood how agonizing the wait had been for Tigers fans and continued pushing because he wanted to pitch one more time.

“No one knows how it’s going to go,” Verlander said.

Emotion Is Arriving in Waves

The uncertainty surrounding Verlander’s performance is not the only source of anxiety.

Family members and friends have arrived in Detroit, supportive messages continue to pour in and the finality of the weekend is becoming impossible to ignore.

“It’s been an emotional day or two, with family and friends coming into town, supportive messages from people,” Verlander said Friday. “It comes in waves. I’m pretty emotional.”

Those emotions will only intensify when Verlander walks to the mound Saturday afternoon.

Detroit has planned a two-day celebration of his career, including ceremonies, giveaways, commemorative merchandise and tributes to his work away from baseball.

Verlander’s final start will be the centerpiece.

He has previously said he does not want to pitch one inning, wave to the crowd and disappear into retirement. He wants to compete for as long as his body and performance allow, even after spending nearly the entire season away from Major League competition.

Verlander’s Daughter Will Throw the First Pitch

The most meaningful moment may arrive before Verlander throws a competitive pitch.

His 7-year-old daughter will handle the ceremonial first pitch, giving the Verlander family an opportunity to share the field before his career ends.

“She’s all pumped up about it,” Verlander said, according to 97.1 The Ticket. “We actually came here to the field and practiced. I asked her, ‘Where do you want to go, the mound or the grass?’ She’s like, ‘The mound.’ That’s my girl.”

Verlander has spoken repeatedly about wanting his daughter to be old enough to remember watching him pitch. Saturday will provide a memory neither of them is likely to forget.

His career includes three Cy Young Awards, an American League MVP, two World Series championships, three no-hitters and 3,554 strikeouts. He will retire with a 266-159 record and a 3.33 ERA across 556 starts. Those totals place him among the greatest pitchers of his generation. (Reuters)

Three hundred wins will remain out of reach. Verlander can allow himself to be disappointed about that without regretting his decision.

He ran his race. He gave it everything he had.

Now his daughter will take the mound first, Verlander will follow her, and one of baseball’s greatest careers will reach its final inning.