Comparing Justin Verlander’s First and Final Strikeouts (21 Years Apart)

A Tigers great has officially retired from MLB after more than 20 years in the league. Drafted in 2004 as the second overall pick, Justin Verlander has been a star since the beginning. His accolades include winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2006, being named an All-Star 10 times, 2011 American League MVP, the 2022 AL Comeback Player of the Year, and a three-time Cy Young Winner (2011, 2019, 2022).

Get our free mobile app

He led the Tigers to two World Series appearances in 2006 and 2012, but sadly, his only two World Series Championships happened after he became a Houston Astros.

Duane Burleson, Getty Images

Even so, Justin Verlander, in a twist of fate, spent his last season back where it all started in Detroit, and he threw his final pitch over the weekend. So, in honor of his storied career in Detroit, we're looking back at both his first strikeout and his final strikeouts in the Old English D.

Justin Verlander's First and Last Career Strikeouts

He struck out for the first time on July 4th, 2005, against the then-Cleveland Indians DH Travis Hafner. The strikeout was the second of the inning.

Fast forward 21 years, and Verlander has gone from being watched in standard 4:3 definition to high definition. But across 14 seasons in Detroit, his final pitch came on September 26th, 2026, after an injury-plagued season. Even after all this time, what's fascinating is that his pitching motion remained largely unchanged across his 23 seasons.

Verlander gave his all for every team he played for, and now he's an all-time great.