Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, the oldest active player in Major League Baseball at 43, will retire after the 2026 season, he said on Wednesday.
"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally," Verlander, the 2011 American League Most Valuable Player, said in a statement posted on X.
"I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I'd keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.
"Over the last several months, I've realized that time has come," he added.
Verlander returned to the Detroit Tigers this season on a one-year, $13 million contract.
"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally," Verlander, the 2011 American League Most Valuable Player, said in a statement posted on X.
"I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I'd keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.
"Over the last several months, I've realized that time has come," he added.
Verlander returned to the Detroit Tigers this season on a one-year, $13 million contract.
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