Draft and minor leagues Verlander's professional baseball career began when he was selected by the
Detroit Tigers with the second overall pick 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 affiliates: the
Lakeland Flying Tigers (High-A) and the
Erie SeaWolves (Double-A), and also started two games for the Tigers in July. After posting a 9–2 record and a 1.67 ERA in 13 starts for Lakeland, Verlander joined the SeaWolves on June 20.
Detroit Tigers (2005–2017) 2005–2006: MLB debut, AL Rookie of the Year, and World Series Verlander made his MLB debut on July 4, 2005. He went 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA in his only two starts of the season. He made the 2006 Tigers roster out of 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 . It 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 and 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; it was the first instance in which two rookies faced off to start a World Series. The Tigers went on to lose the series to the Cardinals in five games.
2007–2008: First no-hitter and All-Star Game Verlander's success continued in 2007, as he accumulated 18 wins and posted a 3.66 ERA with 183 strikeouts in innings. On June 12, Verlander recorded a
no-hitter against the
Milwaukee Brewers, striking out twelve and walking four while throwing a fastball . 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 win-loss record and a 4.84 ERA.
2009–2010: First-time major league wins and strikeouts leader 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 pulled off the feat on July 24, 2009. Then-Mariners hurler
Mike Moore was the last to do it, on September 16, 1985. He finished the 2009 season with a 19–9 record, an ERA of 3.45 and an MLB-leading 269 strikeouts, the most by a Tiger since
Mickey Lolich's 308 in 1971, while his 10.1/9 IP strikeout rate led all American League starters. His 19 wins led the majors this 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 has 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 fanning 219 batters in innings.
2011: Second no-hitter, award-winning season 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, throwing four strikeouts, walking one batter, and throwing at a maximum speed of 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. On June 25, he recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts against
Arizona. Verlander was selected to his fourth AL All-Star team but he 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 made Verlander the first Tiger since
Bill Gullickson in 1991 to win 20 games, and the first Major League pitcher since
Curt Schilling in 2002 to reach 20 wins before the end of August. By the end of the season, Verlander had won the
Triple Crown of pitching in the AL, leading the league in wins (24), strikeouts (250; tied for sixth most in Tigers history) and ERA (2.40).
Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher
Clayton Kershaw had clinched the
National League (NL) Triple Crown earlier in the week, making it the first season since
1924 featuring a Triple Crown pitcher in both leagues. Verlander also led the AL in innings pitched (251) and win-loss percentage (.828; sixth-best in Tigers history), while posting a Major League best 0.92
WHIP. , Verlander remains the most recent pitcher to have pitched 250 innings in one season. Throughout the season, he never had an outing in which he threw fewer than six innings or 100 pitches. Through 2011, Verlander had the best career strikeouts/9 innings percentage in Tigers history (8.3), and the second-best career win-loss percentage (.652; also the fourth-best percentage of all active pitchers). In 2011, Verlander received the AL Sporting News
Pitcher of the Year Award,
Sporting News Player of the Year Award, a
Players Choice Award for Player the Year and Most Outstanding American League pitcher, and a
USA Today American League Cy Young. Verlander was named the cover athlete of
Major League Baseball 2K12. Verlander won both the 2011 AL
Cy Young Award and the AL MVP Award. He was the first pitcher to claim an AL MVP Award since
Dennis Eckersley in 1992, the first starting pitcher to do so since
Roger Clemens in 1986, and the fourth Tigers pitcher to do so in franchise history, joining
Denny McLain (
1968),
Hal Newhouser (
1944, 1945), and
Willie Hernández (1984). Verlander unanimously won the 2011 AL
Cy Young Award and also won the AL MVP in a much closer vote. Verlander edged out
Boston's
Jacoby Ellsbury, 280 points to 242 points while collecting 13 of 28 first-place votes. He became the second pitcher in baseball history after
Don Newcombe to win the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP awards in his career.
2012: Cy Young runner-up, All-Star, and World Series On May 18,
2012, Verlander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the
Pittsburgh Pirates before giving up a one-out single in a 6–0 victory. It was his first career complete-game one-hitter, his 16th complete game overall, and sixth career shutout. Verlander, who struck out 12 in the game, was hitting the upper-90s and into the eighth inning. Verlander was named to the American League team roster and AL starting pitcher in the
All-Star Game. Verlander was joined by teammates
Prince Fielder and
Miguel Cabrera, the former voted as a starter. At the All-Star break, Verlander had a 9–5 record and a 2.58 ERA in 18 games, and was leading the AL in innings pitched (), strikeouts (128) and complete games (five). In a forgettable All-Star game, he pitched one inning and gave up five runs. Verlander finished the 2012 regular season with a 17–8 record. He ranked first in the American League in innings pitched (), strikeouts (239) and complete games (six), while also ranking second in ERA (2.64). In the
2012 ALDS against the
Oakland Athletics, Verlander started Game 1 and won a 3–1 decision. In the deciding fifth game of the series, he pitched a complete-game shutout allowing four hits as the Tigers won 6–0 and advanced to the
2012 ALCS. Verlander, who struck out 11 in each of his ALDS starts became the first pitcher in MLB history to record more than 10 strikeouts in a winner-take-all postseason shutout. Verlander's 22 strikeouts in the series set a record for an ALDS. Verlander made his only appearance in the
2012 ALCS in Game 3 against the
New York Yankees. He earned a 2–1 win, blanking the Yankees hitters on two hits through eight innings before surrendering a leadoff home run in the ninth inning to
Eduardo Núñez. Having given up one run in the first inning of Game 1 in the ALDS, and one run in the ninth inning of Game 3 in the ALCS, Verlander recorded 24 consecutive scoreless postseason innings in between. He pitched Game 1 of the
2012 World Series against the
San Francisco Giants and gave up five earned runs in four innings pitched, including giving up two home runs to eventual World Series MVP
Pablo Sandoval as the Tigers were swept in the Series. Verlander finished second to
David Price of the
Tampa Bay Rays in a close AL Cy Young Award race. Verlander collected 149 points (12 first-place votes) to Price's 153 points (13 first-place votes). Verlander won (tie with David Price) his second consecutive AL
Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.
2013 Prior to the 2013 season, Verlander and the Tigers reached an agreement on a seven-year, $180 million contract, with a $22 million vesting option for 2020 if he finishes in the top five in Cy Young Award voting in 2019. This contract made him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. Verlander made his sixth-consecutive
Opening Day start for the Tigers against the
Minnesota Twins at
Target Field in
Minneapolis and won 4–2. In a May 11 game against the Cleveland Indians, Verlander recorded his 1,500th career strikeout. Verlander was selected as a reserve pitcher for the American League All-Star team by his manager,
Jim Leyland who managed the 2013 AL team. It was Verlander's sixth All-Star selection, but due to him starting a game on July 14 for the Tigers, he was declared unavailable for the July 16 All-Star game. Entering the All-Star break, Verlander had a 10–6 record, 125 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA. Verlander finished the 2013 regular season with a 13–12 record, a 3.46 ERA, and 217 strikeouts. His innings pitched were the lowest total since his 2008 season. In Game 2 of the
2013 ALDS, Verlander struck out eleven
Oakland Athletics hitters in seven shutout innings. Verlander did not get the win as the Tigers lost the game, 1–0, in the bottom of the ninth inning. In Game 5 of the same series, Verlander pitched eight shutout innings with ten strikeouts in a 3–0 victory and taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning. The win sent the Tigers to the
American League Championship Series for the third consecutive year. Verlander defeated the Athletics in Game 5 of the ALDS for the second straight season and is one of four starting pitchers in Major League history to have multiple wins in elimination postseason games, joining
Bob Gibson,
Chris Carpenter, and
Matt Cain. Verlander has thrown 30 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason against the Athletics, a major league record for a pitcher versus one team surpassing
Christy Mathewson's 28 scoreless innings against the
Philadelphia Athletics from 1905 to 1911. Verlander is the second pitcher in Major League history with ten or more strikeouts and no runs allowed in back-to-back postseason games, joining
Sandy Koufax in Games 5 and 7 of the
1965 World Series. The eventual World Series champ Red Sox eliminated the Tigers in six ALCS games. In the 2013 postseason, Verlander was 1–1 with a 0.39 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 23 postseason innings; two of his starts involved the Tigers scoring no runs of offense.
2014 On January 9, 2014, Verlander underwent core muscle surgery. The Tigers projected that Verlander might miss Opening Day in the aftermath of his surgery but he eventually recovered just in time for when pitchers and catchers reported to training camp in February 2014. On March 16, Tiger manager
Brad Ausmus announced that Verlander would make his seventh consecutive opening-day start on March 31. On April 12, Verlander got the first two hits of his major league career during a 6–2 road win over the
San Diego Padres. This snapped a career 0-for-26 string. Verlander struggled in the first half of 2014. His
strikeouts were down to 6.8 per nine
innings pitched, as opposed to an average of 9.2 over the last five years. His ERA and WHIP in the season's first half were also elevated to 4.71 and 1.49 respectively. Verlander was not named to the AL All-Star team for the first time since 2008 snapping a streak of five straight appearances. On August 11, in a game against the
Pittsburgh Pirates, Verlander allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits in only one inning. Verlander left the game with right shoulder soreness in the shortest outing of his career. His previous shortest outing was innings in 2008. Verlander would miss his next start, the first time that had occurred in his career. Verlander fared somewhat better in the second half of 2014. His season ERA and WHIP dropped to 4.54 and 1.398, respectively. He won his final three decisions to finish with a 15–12 record, and the Tigers won the game in 6 of his last 8 starts. His strikeout rate remained low, however finishing with 159 strikeouts and a 6.9 K/9 IP rate, both the lowest since his 2006 rookie season. He mentioned in 2018 that he had not fully recovered from the core surgery during the 2014 season, contributing to production inferior to his career norms.
2015 Verlander started the 2015 season on the
disabled list due to a right triceps strain, ending his streak of seven consecutive Opening Day starts for the Tigers. This marked the first time Verlander had been placed on the DL in his major league career, following 298 career starts and 1,978 innings pitched. Verlander has thrown more pitches than any other pitcher since his rookie season in 2006, with 32,535 pitches in the regular season, and 1,688 pitches in the postseason. On May 31, Verlander was sent to the
Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens for a rehab assignment. It was his first time ever pitching for the Mud Hens having gone straight from Double-A to the major leagues in 2005. He threw 79 pitches, 50 for strikes, allowing six hits and two walks in innings. He fared better in his second rehab start on June 6, lasting innings and throwing 93 pitches (69 for strikes). He gave up just one unearned run on four hits and no walks while striking out nine batters. Verlander made his season debut with the Tigers on June 13 against the Cleveland Indians. He pitched five innings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two. He left the game with a 3–2 lead but got a no-decision as the Indians came back against the Tiger bullpen to win the game. In his next start on June 19, Verlander gave up
Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th career hit, a home run. On August 26, Verlander came within three outs of his third career no-hitter before allowing a double to
Chris Iannetta, the first batter in the ninth inning. He finished the game with one hit, two walks, and nine strikeouts in a 5–0 victory over the
Los Angeles Angels. This was his seventh career complete-game shutout and second career complete-game one-hitter. Verlander finished 2015 with a 5–8 record in 20 starts, but his other stats were a considerable improvement over the previous season. He had a 3.38 ERA and 1.088 WHIP. His walk rate dropped to 2.2 while his strikeout rate inched back up to 7.6.
2016: Cy Young runner-up, American League strikeout leader and 2,000 career strikeouts On May 8, Verlander recorded his 1,981st strikeout in his Tiger career, surpassing
Jack Morris for second place on the list of all-time Tiger strikeout leaders. He only trails
Mickey Lolich who had 2,679 strikeouts as a Tiger. On May 18, Verlander fanned
Eddie Rosario of the Twins for his 2,000th career strikeout, becoming just the second Tigers pitcher to reach the milestone following Lolich. Verlander went into the 2016 All-Star break with an 8–6 record, 4.07 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts in innings (9.2 K/9). Verlander was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for July. He was 4–0 with a 1.69 ERA in six July starts, holding opposing hitters to a .171 average, and striking out 48 batters in innings. Among qualifying starters in the AL (minimum 28.0 innings pitched), Verlander finished July first in strikeouts, tied for first in innings pitched, third in ERA, and tied for third in wins. Verlander allowed just 26 hits in his July innings and had a 0.891 WHIP. On September 27, Verlander struck out 12 Cleveland Indians batters to give him a career-high eight games this season in which he totaled 10 or more strikeouts. Verlander was among the best starters in the majors after the 2016 All-Star Break. From July 15 on, Verlander compiled an 8–3 record, 1.96 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 134 strikeouts in innings. In his three losses, the Tigers scored a total of two runs. On October 2, Verlander would also be the last pitcher to issue a four-pitch
intentional walk (as the following season a rule change was implemented to have the manager simply signal to the umpire to issue one), intentionally walking
Nick Markakis of the
Atlanta Braves. Verlander finished the 2016 season with a 16–9 record while recording 254 strikeouts to lead the American League for the fourth time in his career. He also finished first in the AL with a 1.00 WHIP, and his 3.04 ERA ranked second. His strikeout rate of 10.0 per 9 IP was the second-best of his career, trailing only the 10.1/9 rate posted in 2009. His 4.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio was a career-best and a Tiger record for a season, eclipsing the 4.44 mark set by
Denny McLain in the
1968 season. Verlander joined
Nolan Ryan and
Roger Clemens as the only three American League pitchers in history to strike out 250 or more batters in a season after turning 33 years old. Verlander's 26
quality starts were tied for the AL lead (with former Tiger
Rick Porcello). He threw 3,668 pitches, more than any other major league pitcher. Following the season, Verlander was named a
Gold Glove Award finalist at pitcher, along with
R. A. Dickey and
Dallas Keuchel. Verlander's five
Defensive Runs Saved tied him for fourth among AL pitchers, as did his 29
assists. His 6.61
Wins Above Replacement (WAR) led all AL pitchers. Verlander won his third Tiger of the Year award, as awarded by the Detroit Chapter of the BBWAA. Following the season, Verlander was announced by the BBWAA as a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award, along with
Corey Kluber and former teammate
Rick Porcello. Verlander finished second in Cy Young voting, losing to Porcello by five points, 132–137 in what was the second-closest vote in history (to the 2012 AL Cy Young race Verlander lost). Verlander received 14 first-place votes, to Porcello's eight first-place votes, but Verlander was left off two ballots. It marked the third time in history and first in the AL that a pitcher won the Cy Young Award without receiving the most first-place votes.
2017 In a win over the
Chicago White Sox on April 4, 2017, Verlander tied a franchise record for the most strikeouts on Opening Day with ten, becoming the first Tigers player to do so since
Mickey Lolich in 1970. In his 51st plate appearance in interleague play, Verlander recorded his first career
run batted in (RBI) in an August 30 game against the
Colorado Rockies which was also his last game as a Tiger.
Houston Astros (2017–2022) Rest of 2017: ALCS MVP, World Series championship Seconds before the
waiver trade deadline on August 31, the Tigers sent Verlander to the
Houston Astros for prospects
Franklin Pérez,
Jake Rogers, and
Daz Cameron. Verlander won his Astros debut on September 5 against the
Seattle Mariners, giving up one run and striking out seven over six innings. He started and won the
AL West division-clinching game for the Astros on September 17, allowing one run and striking out ten Mariners batters over seven innings. He won all five of his regular season starts with Houston, posting a 1.06 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in those games. The Astros chose to skip Verlander's final scheduled start on Sunday, October 1 and have him start the first game of the ALDS. On October 14, he started Game 2 of the
ALCS versus the
Yankees, throwing a 13-strikeout, 2–1 complete game victory. The Astros won the game on a ninth-inning walk-off double by shortstop
Carlos Correa that drove home second baseman
Jose Altuve. With the Astros facing elimination in Game 6 of the ALCS, Verlander pitched seven shutout innings in a 7–1 victory over the Yankees. The Astros went on to defeat the Yankees in Game 7, allowing them to advance to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. During the ALCS, Verlander went 2–0, with a 0.56 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. Following his outstanding performance, he was named the
ALCS MVP. Verlander received a no-decision in Game 2 of the
World Series against the
Los Angeles Dodgers, the third time he participated in a World Series. He allowed only two hits in six innings, but both hits were home runs and he left the game with the Astros trailing 3–1. The Astros eventually won the game 7–6 in 11 innings. With a chance to clinch the series in Game 6, Verlander gave up three hits and two runs while striking out nine batters in six innings, but was tagged with the loss in a 3–1 final. It was the first time in his career that Verlander failed to win a series-clinching game in the postseason, having gone 3–0 in his three previous chances. It was also his first loss as a member of the Astros. The Astros defeated the Dodgers the next night in Game 7, giving Verlander his first World Series championship. For the 2017 postseason, Verlander made six appearances and five starts, being credited with a 4–1 record, and gaining a 2.21 ERA, .177
batting average against, eight walks, and 38 strikeouts in innings. Along with Jose Altuve, Verlander was also named winner of the
Babe Ruth Award as co-MVPs of the 2017 postseason.
2018: 200 career wins, 2,500 strikeouts, Cy Young runner-up On March 5,
2018, Verlander was named the opening day starter for the Astros. This was his 10th career opening day start and first with Houston. He started and won on March 29 versus
Cole Hamels of the
Texas Rangers, pitching six shutout innings and striking out five. Unlike in previous seasons, Verlander started masterfully in 2018, leading an Astros rotation that began the season as the most dominant in the major leagues. In April, Verlander went 4–0 with a 1.36 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 40 innings. He was named the AL Player of the Week on April 17; in 15 innings over two starts that week, he struck out 20 and allowed a .100 opponents' batting average. On May 1, Verlander struck out 14
Yankees, tying his career high, over eight shutout innings in Houston. On May 16, Verlander threw a complete-game shutout against the
Los Angeles Angels for his eighth career shutout and 24th complete game. He struck out
Shohei Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning for his 2,500th career strikeout, becoming the 33rd pitcher in Major League history to reach the milestone. He was second among active leaders in strikeouts behind
CC Sabathia. 12 games into the 2018 season, Verlander led the AL in 17 different categories, most notably: ERA (1.11), Wins (7), Innings Pitched (81.1), WAR for pitchers (3.3), WHIP (0.713), H/9 Innings (4.8) and BAA (.153). Verlander was named AL Pitcher of the Month for May, his fifth such award. In six starts, he produced a 0.86 ERA and .437 OPS against, allowed nine extra-base hits, while striking out 50 over innings. He started and ended the month by dominating the Yankees—the only lineup in baseball with an OPS over .800—with 20 strikeouts and only one run allowed in innings. On July 8, Verlander was named to his seventh
All-Star Game, and his first with the Astros. However, Verlander made his scheduled start on the Sunday before the All-Star Game and did not pitch in the game. On August 19, Verlander went innings striking out six and giving up four earned runs in a crucial 9–4 victory over the
Oakland Athletics. The win was Verlander's 200th career win, becoming the 114th pitcher (and third active pitcher) to reach the milestone, and only the 20th pitcher in Major League history to do so in 412 starts or fewer. Verlander tied his career high of 269 strikeouts in a season with an 11-strikeout performance in a 5–4 victory over the
Arizona Diamondbacks on September 16. Verlander subsequently set a new career high the next game in a 10–5 victory over the
Los Angeles Angels on September 22. Verlander struck out 11 in six innings while only giving up one hit, stretching his career-high to 280 strikeouts. Verlander also helped set a new Major League record for the Astros with their 1,069th strikeout by their starters in a season, breaking the mark set by the
Cleveland Indians in 2017. Verlander finished the 2018 season with a 16–9 record in 214 innings pitched and posted a 2.52 ERA with a career-high 290 strikeouts. He posted his lowest ERA since his American League MVP and Cy Young Award-winning 2011 season and led the AL in strikeouts for the fifth time in his career. Verlander also led the major leagues with a 0.902 WHIP and a 7.84 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. His 1.6-per-9 IP walk rate was the lowest of his career. He had the highest
fly ball percentage among major league pitchers (51.4%). He finished the season with four straight games in which he struck out 10+ batters, giving him a career-best 13 games this season with double-digit strikeouts. In Game 1 of the
ALDS, Verlander earned the win, allowing two runs in innings and striking out seven against the
Cleveland Indians. The Astros earned a three-game sweep over the Indians and moved on to face the
Boston Red Sox in the
American League Championship Series. Verlander started and won Game 1 of the ALCS in
Fenway Park, allowing two runs and two hits in six innings pitched. Verlander lost Game 5 of the ALCS with his team down three games to one, surrendering four runs in six innings. It marked the first time in his career that he lost a postseason elimination game. In the 2018 AL
Cy Young Award voting announced on November 14, Verlander finished second to
Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays by 15 points (169–154). Verlander received 13 first-place votes to Snell's 17. This was Verlander's third Cy Young runner-up finish, and sixth time finishing in the top five.
2019: Third no-hitter, 3,000 strikeouts, second Cy Young award, and World Series On March 24,
2019, Verlander and the Astros agreed on a two-year, $66 million contract extension to keep Verlander with Houston through the 2021 season. Verlander made his 11th career Opening Day start on March 28, earning a 5–1 victory versus reigning Cy Young Award winner
Blake Snell and the
Tampa Bay Rays. On June 1, Verlander threw eight innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts, passing
Cy Young on the all-time MLB strikeouts list, and finished the night with 2,809 career strikeouts. He struck out seven in his next outing against the
Seattle Mariners on June 6 to move into the top 20 on the all-time strikeouts list, surpassing
Mike Mussina's total of 2,813. In the June 12 contest versus the
Milwaukee Brewers Verlander struck out a career-high fifteen batters, fourteen of them swinging, over seven innings. On June 18, Verlander struck out eight
Cincinnati Reds batters to move past
Mickey Lolich for 19th place on the all-time strikeouts list. Verlander was named to the American League All-Star team for the eighth time in his career. At the time of the selection, Verlander had a 10–3 record, 2.86 ERA, 147 strikeouts, and an MLB-leading 0.794 WHIP. Verlander was selected as the starting pitcher for the
All-Star game for the second time in his career on July 9. He pitched one inning and retired all three batters he faced, two on strikeouts. Verlander surpassed 200 strikeouts for the season on August 4, for the ninth time in his career. He joined
Nolan Ryan,
Randy Johnson,
Roger Clemens,
Tom Seaver,
Pedro Martinez, and
Bob Gibson as the only pitchers with nine or more seasons of 200+ strikeouts. On August 21, Verlander lost to the Detroit Tigers, 2–1, despite allowing no walks and only two hits, both of them solo home runs, over nine innings. He is the only pitcher other than Mike Mussina in 1998 known to have pitched a complete game loss without ever throwing a pitch with a runner on base. Verlander also had 11 strikeouts in the game, the seventh straight game in which he recorded double-digit strikeouts. On September 1, in a road game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Verlander threw his third career no-hitter. He allowed one base-runner, a walk to
Cavan Biggio in the first inning, and struck out 14 batters in the 2–0 victory. The Astros' only runs came on a two-run home run by
Abraham Toro in the top of the ninth inning. This was Verlander's second career no-hitter against the Blue Jays making him just the third pitcher of the modern era to no-hit the same team twice, and the first to pitch both no-hitters against the same team on the road. He is the sixth pitcher ever to throw three or more no-hitters in their career. He continued his dominance into his next start, setting an Astros franchise record on September 7 for consecutive batters retired in a row, at 32. Teammate
Ryan Pressly tied this record in 2022. On September 28, in his final start of the 2019 regular season, Verlander struck out
Kole Calhoun in the bottom of the 4th inning against the
Los Angeles Angels for his 3,000th career strikeout becoming the 18th pitcher in history to strike out 3,000 hitters. Verlander struck Calhoun out again in the bottom of the 6th for his 300th strikeout of the season, a new career-high, becoming the second player in Major League history after
Randy Johnson to achieve his first 300 strikeout season in the same game as recording a 3,000th career strikeout. Verlander and teammate
Gerrit Cole became the first pair of starting pitchers to strike out 300+ hitters in the same season since Randy Johnson and
Curt Schilling achieved the feat in 2002 for the
Arizona Diamondbacks. Verlander finished the 2019 season 21–6 with 300 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA in 223 innings pitched. He finished first in MLB in innings pitched and games started for the fourth time in his career, first in wins for the third time in his career, and first in WHIP for the third time in his career. His 0.803 WHIP was the lowest in a major league season since
Pedro Martínez posted a 0.737 WHIP in
2000. Verlander also led the American League with a 7.14 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. He was also first in MLB in WAR for pitchers (7.8) and lowest hits per nine innings (5.529). Batters hit .171 against him, the lowest average in the major leagues, and his left on-base percentage of 88.4% was also best in the majors. He allowed the highest fly ball percentage of all major league pitchers (45.2%), which contributed to a career-high 36 home runs allowed. During the top of the second inning of game 2 of the
2019 World Series, Verlander recorded the 200th postseason strikeout of his career setting a new major league record and surpassing the previous record of 199 set by
John Smoltz. He finished the game with six strikeouts, seven hits and four earned runs in six innings in a 12–3 loss to the
Washington Nationals. With the loss, he became the first pitcher in major league history to lose his first five World Series decisions. On November 12, 2019, Verlander won his second Cy Young Award, receiving 171 points and 17 of 30 first-place votes to top teammate Gerrit Cole (159 points, 13 first-place votes). It was also the first time he received the award while playing for the Houston Astros.
2020–2021: Elbow surgery and recovery On March 17,
2020, Verlander underwent surgery on his right groin that required six weeks to recover. At around the same time, the season was delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Verlander made his 12th career opening day start on July 24, 2020, earning the win after striking out seven and giving up two runs through six innings. This was the Astros' eighth straight win on Opening Day, having won every Opening Day game since their move to the
AL West in 2013. On July 26, 2020, it was reported that Verlander would be shut down with a forearm strain. On September 19, Verlander confirmed via his
Instagram account that he would undergo
Tommy John surgery and would miss the remainder of the 2020 season plus all of the 2021 season, which kept him sidelined through the end of his contract extension with the Astros. Verlander underwent the procedure on September 30, 2020. On February 27,
2021, the Astros placed Verlander on the 60-day
injured list as he continued to recover from Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2021 season. On December 13, 2021, Verlander signed a one-year contract with the Astros, containing an option for a second season.
2022: Comeback, third Cy Young, and second World Series Championship Having not recorded a statistic in 2021, Verlander made his way back on April 9,
2022, against the
Los Angeles Angels, for the first time since Opening Day 2020. Verlander struck out seven and allowed one run over five innings in a 2–0 loss. On April 16, Verlander threw eight scoreless innings against the
Seattle Mariners in a 4–0 victory, striking out eight batters. He pitched his 3,000th career inning in the seventh, becoming the 138th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to do so (only he and
Zack Greinke had pitched 3,000 innings among then-active players). On May 10 against the
Minnesota Twins, Verlander took a no-hitter through seven innings until
Gio Urshela ended the chance in the eighth inning. Verlander finished the game with eight innings pitched and five strikeouts, allowing the one hit for a
game score of 83 and lowering his ERA to 1.55 on the season. On June 1, Verlander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning versus the
Oakland Athletics until
Elvis Andrus hit an RBI double. On June 7, Verlander became the career active strikeout leader, passing Max Scherzer, after striking out twelve hitters over seven innings pitched in a 4–1 victory over the Mariners. Verlander also passed
John Smoltz on the all-time strikeout list to move up to 17th all-time with his 3,085th strikeout. Verlander earned his ninth career selection to the
All-Star Game. He struck out ten over six innings in a 5–0 win over the A's on July 16, amounting to 3,121 career strikeouts, and moving him past
Curt Schilling (3,116) and
Bob Gibson (3,117) for 14th place all time. As of the All-Star break, Verlander was 12–3, with a 1.89 ERA, a 0.878 WHIP and 108 strikeouts. Per
STATS, LLC, he became the first pitcher in history to have reached or exceeded each of the following as of an All-Star break: 2.00 ERA, 12 wins, .800 winning percentage, .200 batting average against, 0.900 WHIP, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.00. On July 29, he allowed one run in innings in an 11–1 defeat of the Mariners. The 240th win of Verlander's career, it moved him into a tie with
Frank Tanana for 56th all-time. On August 4, Verlander reached 130 innings to actuate the player option for the 2023 season. On August 23, 2022, Verlander threw six hitless innings and struck out ten batters in a 4–2 win against the
Minnesota Twins. In doing so, Verlander passed
Pedro Martínez on the all-time strikeout list and overtook Scherzer again as the active career leader in strikeouts. Verlander left a start versus
Baltimore after three innings on August 28 due to sudden right
calf discomfort and was placed on the 15-day IL for what an
MRI revealed to be a mild rupture of the
muscle fascia. In his return to the mound on September 16, Verlander hurled five hitless innings against the Athletics to lead the Astros to a 5–0 victory and secure a sixth consecutive
postseason berth. He walked one and struck out nine to extend their winning streak to six games. In his final start of the regular season on October 4, Verlander authored a 10-strikeout, no-hit performance over five innings as Houston cruised to a 10–0 win over the
Philadelphia Phillies. He passed
Ferguson Jenkins and Scherzer again for 12th place on the all-time strikeout list and tied
Jim Deshaies (
1986) for an Astros franchise record of eight consecutive strikeouts in the game. Verlander concluded his 2022 campaign with an 18–4 record, 1.75 ERA, and 185 strikeouts in 175 innings pitched. In twelve starts that followed an Astro loss, Verlander went 9–0 with a 1.11 ERA. He led all the Major Leagues in ERA, WHIP (0.829), and BAA (.186) while leading the American League in wins. He won his first ERA title since his 2011 MVP campaign while setting a career-best, and posted the lowest qualifying ERA over a non-shortened season in the AL (excluding
2020) since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 mark in
2000.{{refn|Verlander's 1.75 ERA trailed only
Nolan Ryan, who, with a 1.69 ERA, won the NL ERA title during the strike-shortened
1981 season for best in club history overall, and thereby rating as best-ever in an unshortened 162-game season. Following the regular season, the Houston chapter of the BBWAA recognized Verlander as the Houston Astros' Pitcher of the Year, the third time he had won the award, and third in three full seasons with the club. He was selected for a third Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Pitcher, and first for AL Comeback Player. In Game 1 of the
2022 ALCS, Verlander struck out eleven over six innings in a 4–2 win versus the
New York Yankees. His eighth double-digit strikeout effort in the postseason, it set a major league record. Starting in the third inning, he struck out a postseason record-tying six consecutive hitters, repeating an achievement of his in Game 3 of the 2013 ALCS. Verlander allowed five earned runs in Game 1 of the
2022 World Series, giving him a career 6.07 ERA in World Series games, the highest among pitchers with a minimum of 30 innings pitched in the World Series. Later in Game 5 of the series, Verlander allowed one earned run over five innings pitched and also striking out six. The Astros would end up winning 3–2, giving Verlander his first career World Series win and 16th postseason win (2nd most in MLB history after passing
John Smoltz); he had eight previous World Series starts without winning, posting an 0–6 record before that night, the worst record for any pitcher before winning his first World Series game. The Astros would go on to defeat the Phillies in six games, giving Verlander his second World Series ring. On November 10, Verlander opted out of his player option with the Astros and became a free agent. He was awarded the Cy Young by unanimous vote on November 16, becoming the 11th pitcher in MLB history to win three Cy Young Awards. It was the second time Verlander was a unanimous choice for the award (receiving every possible first-place vote).
New York Mets (2023) On December 7, 2022, Verlander signed a two-year, $86.7 million contract with the
New York Mets, with a $35 million vesting option for 2025. At a $43.3 million average annual value, the contract matched the record for highest AAV in MLB history with teammate
Max Scherzer's contract signed during the 2021–22 offseason. On March 30, 2023, the Mets announced that they placed Verlander on 15-day
injured list with a low-grade teres major strain. The move was retroactive to March 28. On May 4, the Mets activated Verlander from the IL and made his 2023 debut against his former team, the
Detroit Tigers. On May 10, Verlander struck out seven hitters over seven innings in a 2–1 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds. With the win, Verlander became the 21st pitcher in MLB history to
defeat all 30 teams. On July 30, Verlander earned his 250th career win, the 49th pitcher to do so, in the Mets' 5–2 victory over the
Washington Nationals, allowing one run in 51⁄3 innings in his final start as a Met. Across 16 games for the Mets, he posted a 6–5 record, a 3.15 ERA, and 81 strikeouts across 941⁄3 innings pitched.
Return to Houston (20232024) 2023 On August 1, 2023, the Mets traded Verlander to the
Houston Astros for outfield prospects
Drew Gilbert,
Ryan Clifford, and cash considerations. Verlander's first start of the season at
Minute Maid Park, August 11 versus the
Los Angeles Angels, was the 500th start of his career. He became the 50th pitcher in history, joining former Astros teammate
Zack Greinke as the only active pitchers to reach the total. On August 27, Verlander earned his 100th career win at
Comerica Park against the
Detroit Tigers, becoming the 36th pitcher to win as many games in a single stadium. He faced longtime Tigers teammate
Miguel Cabrera for the final time, as Cabrera would retire following the season. On September 25, Verlander threw eight innings while only giving up one run and striking out eight batters in a 5–1 win over the
Seattle Mariners and stabilized an Astros team that was coming out of a 3–9 stretch that included series losses to the 100-loss
Oakland Athletics and
Kansas City Royals. On September 30, Verlander threw 5 innings of shutout ball against the
Arizona Diamondbacks in a tight 1–0 victory to help the Astros clinch a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season. Verlander struck out five batters in the game, tying him with
Phil Niekro for 12th on the all-time strikeout list with 3,342. It was also the fourth time that the Astros clinched a
postseason berth in a Verlander start since he was traded to the team in 2017. For his efforts, Verlander was awarded his 10th career
AL Player of the Week award for the week of September 25 to October 1, posting a 2–0 record with a 0.69 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 13 IP. Since the award was established in 1973, Verlander became the fourth pitcher to win as many as 10 times. Verlander made his 35th career postseason start in Game 1 of the
ALDS, the second most of all-time behind
Andy Pettitte, throwing six shutout innings and helping lead the Astros to a 6–4 victory. It was the 6th scoreless postseason start of Verlander's career, tying him for most all-time with
Madison Bumgarner and
Tom Glavine.
2024 Verlander started the 2024 season on the 15-day
injured list after experiencing complications with shoulder inflammation during
spring training. He made his season debut on April 19, throwing six innings of two-run ball to help the Astros get a 5–3 win over the
Washington Nationals. Verlander also passed
Phil Niekro for 12th on the all-time strikeout list with his 3,343rd career strikeout. On May 25, 2024, Verlander struck out
Abraham Toro for his 3,372nd career strikeout, passing
Greg Maddux for 10th on the all-time strikeout list en route to a 6–3 victory over the
Oakland Athletics. The victory was also the 260th of Verlander's career, the most of any pitcher who debuted in the 21st century. However, on June 19, he was placed on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation. at
Arvest Ballpark On August 21, Verlander made his return from the IL at home, a 4–1 loss to the
Boston Red Sox, allowing two runs over five innings and struck out six. In 17 total starts for the Astros, he compiled a 5–6 record and 5.48 ERA with 74 strikeouts across innings pitched. Following the season, Verlander became a free agent.
San Francisco Giants (2025) On January 11, 2025, Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the
San Francisco Giants. On March 29 at
Great American Ball Park, Verlander made his Giants debut. Facing the
Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, he pitched five innings, giving up six hits, allowing two runs, and walking only one batter while striking out five. However, the Reds scored the last run in the sixth inning off of San Francisco's bullpen, defeating the Giants, 3–2, and leaving Verlander with a
no decision. Verlander made his San Francisco debut on April 4 at
Oracle Park, in the Giants' home opener. Facing the
Seattle Mariners, he pitched two innings, giving up five hits and walking two while striking out two. The Giants won the game after
Willy Adames hit a game-winning two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the eleventh inning, defeating the Mariners, 10–9 in extra innings, and leaving Verlander with his second
no decision of the season. Verlander was placed on the 15-day IL due to a right pectoral injury after the Giants' 8-4 loss to the
Kansas City Royals on May 21. On August 10 against the
Washington Nationals, Verlander recorded his 3,500th career strikeout when he struck out
Nathaniel Lowe in the first inning. Verlander became the 10th pitcher in Major League history to record 3,500 career strikeouts and the eighth right-handed pitcher to achieve that milestone. On August 26, Verlander struck out
Kyle Tucker for his 3,516th career strikeout, passing
Walter Johnson for 9th on the all-time strikeout list, en route to a 5–2 victory over the
Chicago Cubs. On August 31 against the
Baltimore Orioles, Verlander pitched five innings and struck out 10 batters, making him the oldest pitcher (42 years, 192 days) with 10+ strikeouts in a game since
Randy Johnson on August 22, 2008 (44 years, 347 days). The only other pitchers with at least one 10-K game at that age or older in at least the last 125 seasons are
Roger Clemens,
Nolan Ryan, and
Gaylord Perry. On September 6, Verlander struck out
Nolan Gorman for 3,535th career strikeout, passing Gaylord Perry for 8th on the all-time strikeout list, in a 3-2 loss against the
St. Louis Cardinals. In 29 total starts for the Giants, he compiled a 4–11 record and 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts across 152 innings pitched.
Return to Detroit (2026–present) On February 10, 2026, Verlander signed a one-year, $13 million contract to return to the Tigers, with "... a $2 million base salary and $11 million in deferred payments starting in 2030." On April 4, 2026, Verlander was placed on the 15-day injured list due to left hip inflammation. ==International career==