Justin Verlander would probably pitch forever if his body allowed him.

Instead, one of the greatest pitchers of his generation will take the mound for the final time Saturday when the Detroit Tigers host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. Verlander apparently has no interest in making his farewell a ceremonial appearance.

A.J. Pierzynski revealed on Foul Territory that Verlander plans to pitch “until my arm falls off” in his final start. The 43-year-old also gave Pierzynski an ambitious goal for his final afternoon on a major-league mound.

Justin Verlander told @AJPierzynski12 that he plans to pitch "until my arm falls off" on Saturday.

Verlander: "If I can make it to one hundred pitches, I'm going to do it." pic.twitter.com/UulHK0IfkV

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 23, 2026

“If I can make it to one hundred pitches, I'm going to do it,” Verlander said, according to Pierzynski.

Whether manager A.J. Hinch and the Tigers actually allow that is another question. Verlander has made only one MLB start this season after hip and hamstring injuries derailed what was supposed to be his final campaign. He hasn't gone through anything resembling a normal starter's buildup, making 100 pitches extremely ambitious.

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But what exactly is Verlander saving his arm for now?

Detroit has been eliminated from postseason contention after entering 2026 with much different expectations. The Tigers eventually became sellers, trading Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers and moving other pieces as their season unraveled. Now the final weekend is largely about celebrating a franchise legend.

The perfect ending would be Verlander somehow pitching deep into Saturday's game before Hinch eventually makes that walk toward the mound. Imagine 8 2/3 innings, Comerica Park on its feet, and Verlander handing over the baseball one final time.

Three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, two World Series championships, three no-hitters, and more than 3,500 strikeouts have already secured Verlander's place among baseball's greats. He just wishes that another championship would have happened in Detroit.

Saturday isn't about adding anything else to that résumé.

It's about emptying the tank one last time.