Justin Verlander, one of Major League Baseball’s most accomplished pitchers, etched his name even deeper into the record books on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The 42-year-old right-hander, now donning the San Francisco Giants’ uniform, became just the 10th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,500 career strikeouts—a milestone that cements his legacy among the sport’s all-time greats.
It’s been a winding journey for Verlander, whose career began with the Detroit Tigers back in 2005 after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. Over 13 seasons in Detroit, Verlander established himself as a perennial ace, collecting accolades including the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year, three AL Cy Young Awards, the 2011 AL MVP, and seven All-Star selections. By the time he was traded to the Houston Astros in late August 2017, he had already amassed 2,373 of his career strikeouts in the Tigers’ iconic Gothic D uniform.
Verlander’s career took a new turn in Houston, where he helped the Astros to two World Series titles and added two more Cy Young Awards to his trophy case. After seven seasons with Houston, Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2025 season—a move that surprised many, especially those in Detroit who hoped for a storybook reunion.
Despite the change of scenery and the passage of time, Verlander’s competitive fire hasn’t dimmed. Now in his 20th MLB season, he’s still taking the mound with the drive to compete. “I mean, I’d like to [pitch in 2026],” Verlander told The San Francisco Standard. “At this point in my career, if something goes really wrong, I’m not going to rehab a surgery or anything. I always understand that it could be it, but I think physically, I’ve shown some good health this season.” With a February birthday, Verlander will turn 43 before the 2026 campaign, but he’s not ready to call it quits just yet.
The 2025 campaign, however, has been one of the most challenging of his career. Entering Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals, Verlander sported a 1-9 record, a 4.53 ERA, and 87 strikeouts over 99.1 innings pitched in 20 starts. These numbers are a far cry from his dominant prime, but they don’t tell the whole story. As he took the mound at Oracle Park, Verlander was still the active strikeout king in MLB, and his stuff—while diminished from his peak—remains impressive for his age.
On Sunday, Verlander’s milestone moment arrived with two outs in the top of the first inning. Facing Nathaniel Lowe, he unleashed a 95 mph four-seam fastball that was foul-tipped into catcher Patrick Bailey’s glove. The Oracle Park scoreboard lit up with the announcement, and Verlander tipped his cap to the crowd, soaking in a well-deserved ovation. He finished the game with six strikeouts, bringing his career total to 3,503. With just seven more punchouts, he’ll pass the legendary Walter Johnson for ninth place all-time, and Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton are also within reach if Verlander continues pitching beyond this season.
“As I’ve been on the mound, things have started to get better and better,” Verlander said, reflecting on his season. “To me, that’s a good sign with all the work I put in after my nerve injury last year, which notoriously takes a long time. The ball’s rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It’s a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there.”
Verlander’s 2025 numbers may not leap off the page—his 4.29 ERA and 4.18 FIP are average by MLB standards—but his velocity remains noteworthy. He’s averaging 94.1 mph on his four-seamer and has topped out at 98.3 mph this season, a remarkable feat for a pitcher in his 40s. His slider and curveball, while not as sharp as during his prime, are still effective weapons. Nolan Ryan, the all-time strikeout leader with 5,714, might be nodding in approval somewhere.
For all his individual brilliance, Verlander’s milestone comes in a Giants uniform—a twist that’s not lost on fans or baseball historians. San Francisco, currently a middling team and slipping out of postseason contention, isn’t where most imagined Verlander would join the ultra-exclusive 3,500 Strikeout Club. Many in Detroit, still cherishing memories of his Motown dominance, lament the Tigers’ decision not to bring him back for a final run. Instead, Detroit opted for 41-year-old Charlie Morton at the trade deadline, passing on the chance for a sentimental reunion that could have provided invaluable leadership to their young staff and stoked a postseason push.
Yet, Verlander’s career has always defied expectations. He became the 33rd pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts in 2018, the 18th to notch 3,000 in 2019, and now sits 10th all-time with 3,503. His pursuit of 300 career wins—he currently sits at 263—remains a long shot in today’s game, where starting pitchers are used differently than in decades past. But if anyone can defy the odds, it’s Verlander.
As for his eventual Hall of Fame plaque, the debate rages on: Tigers or Astros? Verlander’s best years and the bulk of his career came in Detroit, but his World Series triumphs and late-career resurgence happened in Houston. According to some observers, “Justin Verlander will go down as the greatest pitcher in Detroit Tigers’ history, and one of the all-time greatest pitchers in baseball history. Congrats, JV. Detroit remembers.”
For now, Verlander’s place in history is secure. He’s the last of a dying breed—an old-school workhorse with the velocity and endurance to match the legends of yesteryear. As the baseball world celebrates his latest achievement, fans in San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, and beyond can only marvel at a career that refuses to slow down. The milestone may have come in a Giants uniform, but the legacy belongs to baseball.
With the season still ongoing and Verlander’s future undecided, the story isn’t over yet. As he climbs the strikeout leaderboard and considers another year on the mound, baseball fans everywhere will be watching to see just how much further this living legend can go.
