How Mets run left a lasting impression on Justin Verlander

The baseball world is celebrating the career of Justin Verlander ahead of the MLB All-Star Game. Verlander will retire with the Detroit Tigers at the end of the 2026 MLB season. The future Hall of Famer has won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros. And he has also had stops with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

Verlander has seen and done it all in baseball. The 43-year-old is taking part in the All-Star Game as a commissioner’s pick for the American League team. As he soaks up his final All-Star Game, he was asked about his time in New York and how that brief run with the Mets impacted him.

“I really fell in love with the city. It was short, obviously. Didn’t go the way we wanted,” the Tigers pitcher said, via SNY Mets. “There’s a lot of things that were sad about it. But I think the relationship with Steve Cohen and his wife Alex, how great they were to me and my family. Getting to play that short time in New York was incredible. I still have my apartment in the city.”

Verlander initially signed a two-year, $86.7 million contract with the Mets in 2023. However, he didn’t play a full season with New York. The Amazins were well outside of playoff contention around the MLB Trade Deadline. And that resulted in a trade from New York back to the Astros.

The veteran pitcher signed with Detroit in 2026 on a one-year contract after spending last season with the Giants. Unfortunately, it has been an injury-riddled campaign for Verlander, as he has pitched just one game. Despite the unfortunate circumstances in 2026, Verlander remains one of the best of his generation and a lock for the Hall of Fame once he’s eligible.

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