Justin Verlander faced a lot of questions about his future after he endured a rough 2024 campaign with the Houston Astros that saw him post a 5.48 earned run average over 17 starts. After latching on with the San Francisco Giants in free agency this offseason, Verlander has made it clear that he has one big goal laid out in front of him.
Verlander wants to reach the 300-win milestone before he calls it a career, but he’s got some work to do. As he enters his age 42 season, Verlander is 38 wins away, with 262 victories over his 19-year career. And while some believe the end is near for Verlander, he’s going to keep on going until the wheels fall off, or until he reaches this prestigious mark.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been doubted,” Verlander said when discussing the milestone. “I don’t think anyone would reach 300 again. I don’t even know if 250 will ever be done again. Look, I don’t want to go out there and make a fool out of myself, you know. But being able to pitch 20 years in this game and to be able to do something that makes me happy every day. Hey, as long as I still have that fire to play, and as long as I’m willing to put in the work that is required to go out there and compete, then I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to.”
Will Justin Verlander be able to reach 300 career wins?
While Verlander didn’t pitch well in 2024, he dealt with a bevy of injuries that certainly impacted him. With a fresh bill of health, San Francisco is hoping he can turn back the clock in 2025, while Verlander is also hoping that individually, he can add some more wins to his tally after only getting five last season.
Can Verlander reach this mark? It’s going to be tough, especially since he turns 42 on Thursday, but it wasn’t long ago that he won the American League Cy Young award in 2022 with the Astros. If Verlander can pitch like he did in 2023, when he posted a 3.22 earned run average and won 13 games, for three more seasons, he’d have a shot, but the first step is proving he still has gas left in the tank with San Francisco after his struggles last year.
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