$13M Detroit Tigers Veteran Admits Major Flaws After Awful Start

The oldest active player in American team sports returned to the starting rotation after 3135 days. However, it was not a remarkable one.  After finishing off 2025 with a 3.85 ERA with the Giants, the 43-year-old Justin Verlander started the game against the Diamondbacks but faltered in a hard way. His 12.27 ERA after his season debut not only haunts the Tigers but has also left the veteran dejected.

“It sucks, not the way I obviously wanted it to go,” Verlander said. “Which is disappointing for me more than anybody else in the world. … You spend all spring training working on stuff, feel OK, and then the first game of the season feels like nothing was right,” Verlander said after the game. “They had way too many good swings on most of my pitches. I need to be better.”

Verlander entered the spring after signing a one-year deal with the Tigers for $13 million. However, his spring was no different as he finished with a 6.75 ERA and allowed seven homers in 14 innings. And now, after allowing 5 runs from his 3.2 innings in his season’s first start, Verlander went into self-assessment mode.

Apr 19, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The first major flaw in Verlander’s pitching is that he is no longer consistently throwing a pitch with a triple-digit velocity. Remember, he was widely recognized for his ability to throw 100+ mph fastballs even in the late innings of games. Because of the loss of his pace, his curveballs and sliders are more important now. However, he is no longer as dominant with his variations as he used to be.

So, while the Tigers gambled on Verlander to repeat what the Blue Jays did with Max Scherzer, the prime-time Verlander is surely missing here.

A similar situation occurred last year when Verlander had a rough start to the season before gradually showing his strength. His first half of 2025 was injury-laden, but as he came back after the All-Star break, Verlander was a different beast. He went on to make 14 starts for a 2.99 ERA. He pitched through seven innings three times. His home run rate went down, and his strikeout rate went up.

In the game against the D-Backs, Verlander had to battle early. He gave up two runs in the first inning and then a three-run homer in the second. He ultimately struggled through 3.2 innings and registered just one strikeout.

However, despite his early struggles, he refused to give in. Verlander, by the end of his outing, retired seven of the final nine batters he faced. So, we still can believe in Verlander, and with what the Tigers have in their rotation, it’s too early to panic.

Tigers’ pitching staff is more than just Verlander

While the Tigers splashed $13 million for Verlander, their pitching staff is still too tough to bend after going down against the D-Backs. The reason? The presence of Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez. Skubal is coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons (2024 and 2025) and already showed his worth this year by getting six SOs with zero earned runs from his only start.

Valdez allowed just one run and five SOs from his single start. So, the two dominant starters from the Tigers’ rotation are confirmed. Then the news of Troy Melton. Even though he is on the 60-day injured list as of March 10, 2026, his return will surely offer better flexibility. He is coming off a 2.76 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with 36 SOs from last year.

Then comes the Tigers’ bullpen. With names like Kenley Jansen, Connor Seabold, and Will Vest contributing to the team, the Tigers’ late innings look solid. For instance, in a spring game against the Twins, the Tigers’ bullpen delivered six scoreless innings. So, with such dominance all across their pitching staff, one rough start is too small a sample to hit the panic button.

And Justin Verlander, being a 3x Cy Young winner, knows the best of business. “Obviously, he’s thinking about some different things, pitch mechanics, or whatever it may be,” Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler said.

o, it’s only a matter of time until Verlander does what he has done before for the Tigers.

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