DETROIT — As his teammates packed boxes and prepped for the home finale Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Braxton Ashcraft leaned back in his chair and scanned Justin Verlander’s Baseball Reference page.
The numbers Ashcraft read aloud: 21 seasons, 556 starts, 3,571 1/3 innings, 3,554 strikeouts and 266 wins.
“The dominance he had for 20 years, it’s something we’re all striving to do,” Ashcraft said. “He produced numbers other players may never touch because the game’s just different now.”
While the Pirates’ primary focus has been winning at least 82 games, they’re well aware of their role when it comes to sending Verlander off into the sunset, his start Saturday at Comerica Park punctuating a career that’s made him a slam-dunk, first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Other than manager Don Kelly, who played with Verlander in Detroit and was at third base for the pitcher’s Double-A debut, there aren’t many personal connections to Verlander among Pirates players. But there is a massive amount of respect.
“When you’re going up against him or a Max Scherzer type, or even if you’re playing the field against Mike Trout, if you take a step back, it is pretty cool to be a part of that,” Bryan Reynolds said.
“He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an elite competitor,” Kelly said. “He’s a winner. And just the way that he’s gone about it and the success he’s had, it’ll be cool to be there for his last start on Saturday.”
As for the start, this should be something else.
Verlander has been limited to 14 1/3 innings this season (just 3 2/3 at the MLB level) due to left hip inflammation and a left hamstring strain. He hasn’t pitched since his last Minor League rehab start on June 10, although the three-time Cy Young Award winner did throw a bullpen Tuesday and came out of it feeling fine.
Or as well as a 43-year-old with considerable miles on the tires might hope to feel.
The fascinating part is how Saturday will go. Verlander has said he doesn’t want to throw one inning and be done. He wants to empty the tank and going as long as he can, telling Foul Territory’s A. J. Pierzynski that he’d like to throw 100 pitches, if possible.
“Who knows what’s going to happen,” Verlander said. “But I don’t just want to go out there and go one inning, come out and wave. I want to toe the rubber one more time in a competitive way and try to win the Detroit Tigers a ballgame.”
The Pirates can’t wait to see how it turns out.
“It’s gonna be awesome,” Paul Skenes said. “I don’t want him to go out on a high note. But as a baseball fan, I want him to go out on a high note. It’s kind of a tough position. But it’s gonna be awesome. He’s been an example for everybody in the game.
“We saw it with Charlie Morton last year. I think it’s probably a little different for Justin Verlander. To be in the building when he makes his last start, after the career he’s had, it’s gonna be special. I’m excited to watch.”
'Pumped to see'
Konnor Griffin could step in the box first against Verlander on Saturday. The Pirates shortstop was not yet born when Verlander made his MLB debut.
“It’ll be good competition,” Griffin said. “Pumped to see that he’s gonna be out there one more time. Should be fun.
“He’s dominated all of his career. He’s been someone who’s always been up there, one of the top pitchers. I’ve definitely watched him a lot over the years.”
When Jake Mangum saw Verlander would be making one final start, his mind went back to Spring Training 2023. Mangum was traded from the Mets to the Marlins that offseason. Meanwhile, Verlander signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract to join Scherzer atop the Mets’ rotation.
The minute Mangum stepped into the box and saw Verlander standing 60 feet, 6 inches away, he felt the difference. A presence. At the same time, Mangum believes the matchup or atmosphere created in Detroit will be good for the Pirates and their aspirations.
“It’s another way for our young players to experience a big atmosphere,” Mangum said. “Any time you’re in those situations, you’re only going to get better.”
Mangum is 0 for 3 in his MLB career against Verlander. Spencer Horwitz (3 for 6), Ryan O’Hearn (3 for 5) and Reynolds (1 for 3) have also faced him. But the biggest sample size, and the most success, belongs to Brandon Lowe, who’s 5 for 14 against Verlander.
Lowe and Verlander have sort of been like ships passing in the night. Lowe grew up in Suffolk, Va., about 30 minutes west of Norfolk, where Verlander pitched in college at Old Dominion. Verlander was born in Manakin Sabot, near Richmond, where is where Lowe spends his offseasons.
Anyway, Verlander is an all-time great and won his second Cy Young during Lowe's first full season in 2019, enjoying a 7.4 bWAR season with the World Series runner-up Astros. Lowe said he got to chat with Verlander in Cleveland that year at the MLB All-Star Game.
“The 1-2 combo of him and [Gerrit] Cole in Houston was a monster,” Lowe said.
It’s the same feeling Kelly had in 2005, when he and Verlander were teammates with the Double-A Erie Seawolves. Kelly remembers the buzz throughout the Tigers organization over the fireballer drafted second overall the previous year.
After Verlander tore up the Florida State League in 2005, striking out 104 in 86 innings and pitching to a 1.67 ERA, he was promoted to Erie. Kelly and his teammates if the kid was for real when Verlander made his first SeaWolves start June 21, 2005 at New Hampshire.
Suffice to say, Verlander was legit, striking out the first seven he faced before Kelly booted a broken-bat grounder. That only fired up Verlander more. He struck out the next two and 12 over seven innings in total.
Kelly remember that Delta Dental Stadium, in its first year, was one of the few Double-A ballparks at the time with a working radar gun. Verlander was consistently at 100-101 mph before it either broke or the Fisher Cats decided to turn it off.
“We were like, ‘Alright, this guy is pretty good,’ ” Kelly said. “They shut the radar gun off in the stadium because the hitters were so domed up going up to hit off of him.”
'A lot of emotion'
Asked what has made Verlander special, Kelly described his competitiveness, whether it was baseball, golf or cards. You might’ve beaten him, but he never lost, Kelly said. Meanwhile, Lowe described Verlander’s release point, extension and deadly offspeed stuff, making Verlander one of the best to ever do it.
It’s why Lowe can’t wait to see how this will go.
Verlander re-signed with the Tigers this past offseason and said he wanted to play in 2026 and '27. His body has not cooperated. Verlander announced at the All-Star break this would be his final season. Saturday will mark his first outing at Comerica Park since August 2017.
“He still has a life after this,” Lowe said. “You can't just rip your shoulder off. It's gonna be interesting to see."
Count Kirby Yates, another Pirates veteran, in that camp, as well. The 39-year-old is contemplating retirement himself, which is why he can sort of relate to the Verlander situation: You have one game back where it all started. Why hold back?
"If I knew I had one more game, I'd probably feel the same way," Yates said. "Leave it all out on the field."
Discussing what makes Verlander special, Yates could only shake his head. In 2021, Yates missed the season because of Tommy John surgery. So did Verlander.
The next year, Yates had a 5.14 ERA and struggled to hold down regular work. Verlander won his third Cy Young, pitching to a 1.75 ERA and producing 5.6 bWAR.
"What he's done for the last 20 years has been pretty remarkable," Yates said. "I'm glad we're gonna get to see this firsthand. ... I remember seeing [Clayton] Kershaw with the Dodgers last year. There's a lot of emotion that goes into that.
"I'll probably feel it a little more than some of the younger guys, but it's neat."
Ashcraft certainly grasps the magnitude of the moment. While he didn't watch a ton of sports growing up, he was plenty aware of Verlander and his legacy. There'll absolutely be a hole in the pitching world when Verlander hangs 'em up.
"Players like that, you wish they could play forever," Ashcraft said. "It's sad to know he won't be pitching anymore, but his legacy will always be part of the game. It'll definitely be cool to see that moment."
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.