Sep 29, 2026
Author Spotlight: Justin Verlander — The Last Workhorse Who Pitched Until the Wheels Came Off
A deep dive on Justin Verlander — the small-town Virginia kid who grew into a 6-foot-5 flamethrower at Old Dominion, went second overall in the 2004 draft, and became the most durable ace of his generation; the 2006 Rookie of the Year who threw the first no-hitter at Comerica Park, won the 2011 American League Pitching Triple Crown, Cy Young and MVP, added two more Cy Youngs and two World Series titles in Houston, and became only the sixth pitcher ever to throw three no-hitters; his defining reflections on age, honesty, self-determination, craft, and the meaning of home; the comeback from Tommy John surgery that produced an 18-win, 1.75-ERA season at 39; and the legacy of the last of the old-school workhorses — the pitcher who finished with 266 wins, 3,560 strikeouts, an MLB-record 244 postseason strikeouts, and a 21-season career that ended, exactly where it began, with the Detroit Tigers.