Justin Verlander's retirement vindicates Astros' heart-wrenching (but wise) decision

In the annals of Houston Astros history, there have been few pitchers better than Justin Verlander. Despite the fact that he only pitched in seven seasons for Houston, his 2.71 ERA and two Cy Young awards stack up well against anyone who pitched in his era. Once you look at his entire career, you see a guy that was one of the absolute best pitchers period of his generation and a future Hall of Famer. We just got word that the countdown to see his name on the ballot for Cooperstown is about to start.

Verlander's exit from the Astros was legitimately painful. As good as he was for so long, his final season in Houston in 2024 saw Verlander ravaged by injuries and as a shadow of his former self. It was honestly remarkable that he managed to post a 5.48 ERA across 90.1 innings and then put together a solid season with the Giants last year.

Unfortunately, it appears as though the ride is over. On Wednesday, not only was it revealed that Verlander was named as a Legend Pick to the 2026 All-Star Game, but he also announced that this season will be his last before retiring.

Justin Verlander just announced that he is retiring at the end of the season, but the writing was on the wall when he was with the Astros

It would be a lie to say that Verlander's decision was surprising. Not only has he seen his stuff diminish in recent years (including in Houston) while battling Father Time and injuries, but he hasn't really been able to take the field at all with the Tigers in 2026. After making comments that he felt as though the wheels may be falling off earlier this season and strongly hinting at retirement, it was only a matter of time really.

And there is no shame in the decision. The odds that we ever see a career as long and decorated as Verlander's has been again after very low. 21 seasons. Three Cy Young wins. Nine top 5 Cy Young finishes. Nine All-Star appearances. Two World Series titles. The guy has absolutely nothing left to prove.

It is just a shame that Astros fans had to witness the real beginning of the end in 2024. Age comes for us all and everyone knew that he would retire eventually. One just wishes that he could have been able to go out more on top than what ultimately transpired the last few years.

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